NASA's PUFFINS Mission to Study Interstellar Dust Led by Indian-Origin Scientist
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission Name | PUFFINS (Polarimetry in the Ultraviolet to Find Features in INterStellar dust) |
| Lead Scientist | Dr. Ramya Manjunath Anche (Indian-origin astrophysicist) |
| NASA Program | Astrophysics Pioneers (grant: $20 million) |
| Mission Type | Small Satellite (SmallSat) with a 10-inch telescope |
| Key Objective | Study interstellar dust's role in star and planet formation via ultraviolet polarimetry. |
| Observations | Analyze ultraviolet light from 70 stars after passing through interstellar dust clouds. |