NASA has chosen SpaceX to launch its new space telescope, NEO Surveyor, which aims to detect near-Earth objects (NEOs) and track their orbits and sizes. The spacecraft will be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket in September 2027 from Florida.
The $100 million contract is part of the NASA Launch Services II program. NEO Surveyor features a 50-centimeter telescope equipped with infrared detectors, allowing it to detect objects at least 140 meters across. The mission’s goal is to find two-thirds of such objects within five years and 90% within 10-12 years.
The launch comes after the spacecraft passed its critical design review on February 6. Environmental testing for part of the instrument enclosure is currently underway at the Johnson Space Center, with further integration and testing set for later this spring in Utah.
NASA’s focus on NEOs was highlighted by recent attention to asteroid 2024 YR4, which initially had a small chance of impacting Earth but has since been downgraded to just 0.36%.
Source: https://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-spacex-to-launch-neo-surveyor