February 23, 2023: NASA is all set to launch Israel’s first space telescope mission ULTRASAT. Continue reading to know more.
The Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT) is an ultraviolet observatory which comprises a large field of view and has the potential to investigate the mystery of short-duration events in space, such as supernova explosions. This intriguing space telescope is all set to become the first Israeli telescope and will be launched by NASA.
It will be managed and controlled by the Israel Space Agency and Weizmann Institute of Science, and will be launched in 2026 into Earth’s geostationary orbit (a circular orbit 35,785 km or 22,236 miles above Earth's Equator). NASA will participate in both the mission’s launch service and science programme.
The telescope would be able to quickly spot and capture ultraviolet light from different sources in the universe that can change in small durations of time, thanks to its wide field of view. This data will be combined with information collected from other sources. The resulting conclusion will lift some darkness over multiple astronomy topics, like black holes, supernovae, distant galaxies, etc.
The launching opportunity will be provided by NASA through Flight Payload Adapter and other programmes. The completed observatory will be finally delivered by the Israel Space Agency to NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida for launch.
“We are proud to join this partnership, an international effort that will help us better understand the mysteries of the hot, transient universe,” Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said. He believes that ULTRASAT will give the global science community another important capability for making new observations in the fields of time and space.
ULTRASAT utilises state-of-the-art technological equipment like a wide field of view, advanced ultraviolet sensitivity and real-time data control and transfer. Uri Orion, director of the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, has mentioned how proud their Agency is to collaborate with NASA, and has stated how groundbreaking science calls for cutting-edge technology that the Israeli space industry is investing upon to develop this telescope.
International space agencies like NASA and DESY (National Research Centre in Germany) have joined in on this project only after realising the potential that this scientific programme holds. “This is a breakthrough project that places Israel at the forefront of global research,” said Eli Waxman, astrophysicist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and ULTRASAT’s head researcher.
