NASA-Caltech UVEX Telescope Targets Ultraviolet Sky Survey

NASA and Caltech are developing the Ultraviolet Explorer, or UVEX, a space telescope designed to survey the sky in ultraviolet light. The mission is planned to launch in 2031.

Key details

• UVEX is designed to make deep, all-sky maps in ultraviolet light.
• The mission is expected to study supernovae and neutron-star mergers, along with nearby low-mass galaxies and young stars.
• Caltech-developed CMOS-based detectors will provide the telescope’s ultraviolet sensitivity.
• Fiona Harrison, a Caltech physics professor, is identified as the mission’s principal investigator.

UVEX is planned to launch in 2031.

Why it matters

Ultraviolet observations can capture emissions from cosmic explosions and help researchers identify young stars in nearby, faint galaxies. UVEX is also designed to reposition to observe transient events, including events detected through gravitational waves.