News

U of A takes leading operations role in NASA mission

A crew at the University of Arizona Multi-Mission Operation Center, or MMOC, is in charge of mission control of the Pandora satellite.

Chris Impey Wins 2026 Lewis Thomas Prize Honoring the “Scientist as Poet”

Chris Impey

Steward Observatory’s Kate Alexander and Carl Fields Win Prestigious Scialog Awards

Kate Alexander and Carl Fields

Steward Observatory’s Marcia Rieke wins prestigious award for her influential career in astronomical research

Steward Observatory’s Marcia Rieke wins prestigious award for her influential career in astronomical research

The Conversation: NASA’s Pandora telescope will study stars in detail to learn about the exoplanets orbiting them

A new NASA mission will study exoplanets around distant stars. European Space Agency, CC BY-SA

NASA Featured Story: NASA’s Pandora Satellite, CubeSats to Explore Exoplanets, Beyond

This view of the fully integrated Pandora spacecraft was taken May 19, 2025, following the mission’s successful environmental test campaign at Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado. Visible are star trackers (center), multilayer insulation blankets (white), the end of the telescope (top), and the solar panel (right) in its launch configuration.

Pandora, a keen-eyed satellite built to study exoplanets, readies for launch

Artist's concept of NASA's Pandora mission, which will help scientists untangle the signals from the atmospheres of exoplanets – worlds beyond our solar system – and their stars.

Former CEO of Google spearheads 4 next-gen telescopes — 3 on Earth and 1 in space

Four new telescopes could usher in a new era of astronomy. (Image credit: Schmidt Sciences/Chris Gunn Photo Credit: Schmidt Sciences/Chris Gunn)

The First-Ever Private Space Telescope Could Launch before Decade’s End

Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt pose during a gala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 01, 2025. Via their Schmidt Sciences philanthropic organization, the couple is funding multiple astronomical projects, including the Lazuli space telescope. Kevin Winter/WireImage/Getty Images

Eric and Wendy Schmidt to fund space telescope, three ground-based observatories

Lazuli will be the largest privately funded space telescope ever built — larger than the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: Schmidt Sciences