Getting the billion-dollar PRIMA space telescope off the ground

In late September 2026, NASA announced (nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-far-infrare…) that a new telescope called PRIMA was getting a green light and advancing to something called Phase B of the development process. But what does that mean exactly? How does a billion-dollar space project get thought up, designed, approved, and constructed?
Flora talks with Jason Glenn, an astronomer who led the initial concept study for PRIMA, about the challenges ahead (sciencefriday.com/segments/prima-telescope) and the process of getting a massive space project off the ground.
Guest:
Dr. Jason Glenn led the concept study for the PRIMA space telescope, and is now a professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia.
Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. (sciencefriday.com/segments/prima-telescope)

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