MANTIS Ultraviolet Telescope: Compact, Affordable Space Observation

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NASA is preparing to launch the MANTIS cube satellite telescope to observe the sky in the ultraviolet range. This plan is shared by the University of Colorado at Boulder and supported by researchers across the space science community.

MANTIS stands for Near Star Viewing Event and carries a price tag of eight and a half million dollars. It represents a fraction of the cost of flagship observatories such as Hubble and James Webb, primarily because its design emphasizes compactness and lightweight components. The project envisions a device not much larger than a common toaster, while Hubble rivaled the size of a city bus. The University of Colorado at Boulder will lead the development and manufacturing efforts for MANTIS, coordinating a team of engineers and scientists to bring the compact ultraviolet eye into space.

The telescope is engineered to capture ultraviolet light, extending into the far ultraviolet part of the spectrum and edging toward wavelengths that approach X rays. This capability will complement the science undertaken by the James Webb Space Telescope, which has the mission of probing exoplanet atmospheres and cosmic origins. By observing ultraviolet emissions from stars and their surrounding environments, MANTIS will help scientists study stellar activity and magnetic processes that influence planetary environments. The data gathered by MANTIS will be used alongside Webb’s findings to assess the habitability prospects of planets orbiting nearby stars and to deepen understanding of star planet interactions in the ultraviolet regime.

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