Pioneers Program

Not to be confused with Pioneer program.

The Pioneers or Astrophysics Pioneers Program is a NASA program started in 2020 intended to use low-cost, small-size hardware to carry out sub-orbital and space-based astrophysics investigations. The missions are expected to include SmallSats, balloon payloads, and payloads attached to the ISS, with a $20M cost cap.[1]

Four concepts were chosen in January 2021:[2][3]

  • Aspera, a SmallSat to study galaxy evolution
  • Pandora, a SmallSat launched on January 11th, 2026, to study at least 20 stars and their respective exoplanets in order to determine their atmospherical composition
  • StarBurst, a SmallSat to detect high-energy gamma rays from neutron star mergers, targeted to launch in summer 2027
  • PUEO (Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations), a balloon mission successfully launched on December 19, 2025 from the McMurdo Station’s Long Duration Balloon Facility in Antarctica for a 23-day flight in order to detect signals from neutrinos[4][5][6]; future flights are possible[6]

Three additional missions have been selected as of June 2026:[7]

  • TIGERISS (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder on the International Space Station), selected in 2022 and anticipated to launch in 2027, a payload attached to the ISS to test models of nucleosynthesis and increase understanding of the production and distribution of elements in the galaxy[8][9][10]
  • Landolt space mission, selected in 2024, a SmallSat intended to act as an artificial "star" in the Earth's orbit, enabling the absolute flux calibration of telescopes and thus more accurate measurements of brightness for astronomical objects[11]
  • POEMM (Planetary Origins and Evolution Multispectral Monochromator), selected in July 2024 and expected to launch around 2028, a balloon mission with a 1.8 meter telescope and multiple spectrometers that will study planet formation and evolution in the far infrared[12][13]

References

  1. ^ "Astrophysics Pioneers | Science Mission Directorate". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  2. ^ "Potentially mind-blowing secrets of the universe could be exposed with new NASA missions". SYFY Official Site. 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  3. ^ "Astrophysics Pioneers - NASA Science". 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  4. ^ "Antarctic balloon mission chosen for NASA Pioneers program | Penn State University". www.psu.edu. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  5. ^ alison (2026-02-13). "PUEO's Antarctic flight advances neutrino research | McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences". mcss.washu.edu. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  6. ^ a b "Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO)". heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  7. ^ "Astrophysics Pioneers - NASA Science". 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  8. ^ "Research | TIGERISS | Washington University in St. Louis". sites.wustl.edu. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  9. ^ "TigerISS". heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  10. ^ Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight. "Nicholas Wade Cannady - Sciences and Exploration Directorate". NASA Goddard Sciences and Exploration Directorate. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  11. ^ "Landolt Space Mission". landolt.gmu.edu. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  12. ^ "Organisatie". TU Delft. Archived from the original on 2025-10-17. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  13. ^ "POEMM - A NASA Pioneers Mission". poemm.astro.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2026-06-28.


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