NASA Will Study Star Explosions with the UVEX Telescope

Illustration of galaxies and stars observed with UVEX (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA – The United States Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has many programs to observe outer space. However, there is still a lot that NASA doesn't know until now.

Some things they still need to study are the star explosion process and how stars and galaxies evolve. Therefore, NASA will launch a space telescope called the Ultraviolet Explorer (UVEX).

The UVEX telescope, part of the Astrophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) mission, will be launched in 2030. This observing instrument will detect sources of ultraviolet light that exist throughout the universe.

“This mission will bring key capabilities in near and far ultraviolet light to our fleet of space telescopes, providing a wealth of survey data that will open new avenues in exploring the secrets of the cosmos,” said NASA Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Nicola Fox.

Apart from observing ultraviolet light, this telescope will also study massive star explosions using an ultraviolet spectrograph. With this tool, Fox said that UVEX will help NASA understand events in the universe.

Observation results from UVEX will be combined with data from other observing instruments, such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope which will be launched in 2027 and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid Space Telescope.

Data from these three tools will produce a more modern map of the universe. Combining this data is also considered important by Mark Clampin, Director of NASA's Astrophysics Division, to help scientists and the science community.

“This new telescope will contribute to our understanding of the universe at a wide range of wavelengths and address one of the top priorities of Astrophysics today: studying fleeting changes in the cosmos,” explained Clampin.

The UVEX mission was first selected in 2022. The telescope continues to be developed until it costs 300 million US dollars (IDR 4.6 trillion). This cost does not include launch and maintenance costs afterward.

Although this mission is managed by three parties, namely the University of California, Northrop Grumman, and Space Dynamics Laboratory, this program is still managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. UVEX will be driven for scientific exploration purposes.