Israeli Astro Physics Mission: ULTRASAT

January 23, 2023

NASA and Israel will soon sign an agreement on a space mission. Under the agreement, the United States will help Israel in its upcoming Astrophysics Mission called ULTRASAT. The mission is currently being developed by Israel Space Agency and Germany. ULTRASAT will operate in Geo Stationary orbit. It is to carry a UV telescope. The main objective of ULTRASAT is to look for UV signatures in space. Precisely it will look for UV emissions from mergers (collision of neutron stars) and supernova explosions.

About ULTRASAT

The weight of the satellite is 1,100 kg
To be launched in2026
Operational time: three years
Purpose: To look for gravitational waves
Total Cost: 110 million USD

Why is the US entering the project?

The objectives of ULTRASAT match with the Astro 2020 survey of NASA. Under this, the US is looking for gravitational wave emissions from stellar and galactic clouds. UV is also a gravitational wave. The Astro 2020 is a decadal survey. It will track the course of Astronomy in the US and the world in 10 years. The mission will identify earth-like planets and is often called the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope. It has a Large UV – IR surveyor. It also looks for habitable zones in the outer space.

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