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Indian-Origin Scientist to Lead NASA Mission on Cosmic Dust and Life
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Firstpost•18-10-2026, 13:55
Indian-Origin Scientist to Lead NASA Mission on Cosmic Dust and Life
- •Dr Ramya Manjunath Anche is leading NASA's PUFFINS mission, which focuses on studying tiny grains of interstellar dust.
- •The $20 million mission, targeted for launch in 2030, aims to understand how stars, planets, and life beyond Earth form.
- •PUFFINS will use a small satellite with a 10-inch telescope to observe ultraviolet light and measure polarimetry from around 70 stars.
- •The research will help scientists distinguish between different dust types and remove foreground interference to study the early universe.
Key Questions Answered
The PUFFINS mission aims to study tiny interstellar dust grains using ultraviolet light and polarimetry to understand how stars and planets form and to improve the search for life beyond Earth.
Dr. Ramya Manjunath Anche, an assistant research professor at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory who grew up near Bengaluru, is leading the mission.
The mission, which received a $20 million award under Nasa's Astrophysics Pioneers programme, is targeted for launch in 2030.
