NASA PUFFINS mission to study cosmic dust for life clues
NASA's new PUFFINS mission, led by Indian-origin scientist Dr. Ramya Manjunath Anche, is gearing up to explore cosmic dust for clues about life beyond Earth.
Launching in 2030 with $20 million in funding, the team will use a satellite and a 10-inch telescope to study ultraviolet light from around 70 stars and see how it interacts with interstellar dust.
PUFFINS targets dust in planet formation
PUFFINS hopes to crack some big questions about how planets (and maybe even life) get started.
By focusing on tiny bits of space dust that are invisible in regular light, the mission could reveal new details about star and planet formation.
As Dr. Anche puts it, "Since dust is such a critical component of how planetary systems and eventually life form, understanding it feels very essential."
The data could help scientists piece together more of our universe's story.