The telescope mission, called ULTRASAT (Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite), is scheduled to be launched into high-Earth orbit in early 2026, as part of a newly signed partnership between NASA and Israel's Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, under which the ISA operates.
The ISA and WIS project is expected to revolutionize scientists' ability to detect and analyze transient events in the universe, such as neutron star mergers and supernova explosions, the ISA and WIS said in a joint statement.
The telescope has an unprecedented field of view of 204 square degrees and represents a 100-fold leap in the extra-galactic volume accessible to scientists for the discovery of transient sources, compared to observatories on Earth, it added.
It will also measure the ultraviolet light that cannot be measured from Earth, and provide the scientific community with real-time alerts on transient events.
The combination of these capabilities will allow observing the universe as never before, shedding light on basic questions, such as the origin of heavy elements in nature and the impact of giant black holes on their environments, the statement noted.
This will enhance research on a wide variety of astronomical subjects, including supernovae, variable and flare stars, active galaxies, the source of gravitational waves, and accretion of stars by massive back holes, it said.
Latest comments