BAE Systems Wins Spacecraft Work on NASA’s PRIMA Observatory

BAE Systems (BSP.DE ) will supply its Evolve+ spacecraft bus and lead observatory assembly, integration and testing for NASA’s PRIMA mission after the agency selected the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-led team for its next development phase, the company announced on November 13, 2026.

The company will also serve as operations and ground lead for JPL, which manages PRIMA, short for PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics. The assignment therefore spans the spacecraft platform, observatory integration and operating infrastructure. PRIMA belongs to NASA’s new Probe Explorers astrophysics class.

Bonnie Patterson, vice president and general manager of civil space for BAE Systems, connected the assignment with the company’s longstanding JPL relationship: “We are excited to continue our decades-long partnership with JPL through the PRIMA mission that will enable NASA to make significant discoveries on the history of the universe.”

Confirmation Review Remains Before Full Implementation

PRIMA is advancing through Phase B development. Following a NASA confirmation review, the project will move toward full implementation, leaving a further development gate after this selection.

The mission is targeted for launch in 2033 and planned to operate for five years, according to BAE Systems. Those schedule and duration figures describe the intended mission rather than a completed implementation approval.

The company’s responsibilities cover both the hardware and integration work needed to prepare the observatory and the operations and ground functions associated with conducting the mission.

Far-Infrared Telescope Defines the Mission

PRIMA will use a highly sensitive far-infrared space telescope with a diameter of 1.8 meters. It is designed to observe parts of the universe hidden by dust. BAE Systems said its far-infrared observations will bridge the observation gap between the James Webb Space Telescope and ground-based radio observatories.

The stated scientific objective is to help researchers understand how stars, planets, galaxies and water formed over time, as well as how cosmic structures grow and change. The mission is intended to provide a clearer picture of how the universe developed and evolved from its formation to the present.

BAE Systems will join international space-industry providers from France, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Japan and the United Kingdom in supporting PRIMA. The supplier group gives the program an international industrial base alongside the JPL-led mission team.

The assignment also continues BAE Systems’ work on NASA astrophysics programs. Its earlier missions include the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. That experience is relevant to a PRIMA role combining spacecraft supply with observatory-wide integration and operational responsibilities.

For BAE Systems, the selection establishes a role extending from spacecraft hardware through integration and ground work within an international mission team. NASA’s confirmation review remains the next major gate before the project moves toward full implementation.