NASA has selected six science teams to participate in the first new mission of its Origins programme which will seek answers to fundamental questions about the nature of the universe and the Earth's place in it.
The teams will look at the formation of galaxies, stars and planet-forming dust disks using the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), to be launched in June 2002.
The teams will study six areas: galaxy birth and evolution; black holes and galaxies; unveiling hidden stars; inside the Milky Way; from gas to stars; and planet formation. The teams were chosen from 28 proposals from astronomers worldwide. Studies will involve 3,000h of SIRTF observations.
Source: Flight International