19 - 10 - 2026

Indian Scientist to Lead NASA’s PUFFINS Mission’s Study on Cosmic Dust

The dust between stars may hold important clues to how planetary systems take shape. NASA’s PUFFINS mission, led by Bengaluru-born astrophysicist Dr. Ramya Manjunath Anche of the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory, aims to investigate these microscopic particles using ultraviolet observations from space.

PUFFINS, short for Polarimetry in the Ultraviolet to Find Features in INterStellar dust, has been selected under NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers programme, with a reported funding allocation of $20 million. The small-satellite mission plans to study ultraviolet light from approximately 70 stars to understand how interstellar dust affects its passage through space.

The mission’s focus is not the direct detection of extraterrestrial life. Instead, it will examine the physical properties of dust that help scientists understand the environments in which stars and planets form.

Why interstellar dust matters

Interstellar dust consists of tiny solid particles distributed between stars. Along with gas, it plays an important role in stellar formation, influences the chemistry of interstellar clouds and affects how astronomers observe distant objects.

Dust grains absorb and scatter starlight, changing the light that reaches telescopes. They can also polarise light, leaving signatures that provide clues about their properties and alignment with magnetic fields.

PUFFINS will use ultraviolet spectropolarimetry, which measures the polarisation of light across different wavelengths. Its telescope will have a primary mirror approximately 25 centimetres across, and its planned observations will cover ultraviolet wavelengths of around 180–320 nanometres.

By analysing the light from about 70 stars, researchers aim to investigate how small dust grains interact with radiation, examine the causes of ultraviolet polarisation and test existing models of interstellar dust.

What the mission hopes to discover

One of PUFFINS’ research priorities is the ultraviolet extinction feature near 2,175 angstroms, a prominent dip in starlight associated with interstellar material. Scientists continue to investigate the physical processes behind this feature and its relationship with dust properties.

The mission will also examine ultraviolet polarisation across different interstellar environments. Its findings could improve understanding of how dust grains align with magnetic fields and how their characteristics influence observations of distant stars.

Earlier ultraviolet polarimetry experiments, including the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarization Experiment flown aboard the Space Shuttle in the early 1990s, provided measurements along a limited number of lines of sight. PUFFINS aims to expand the observational sample and provide additional evidence to test competing scientific explanations.

From cosmic dust to planetary systems

Understanding interstellar dust helps astronomers investigate the conditions under which stars and planetary systems evolve. Dense clouds of gas and dust can collapse under gravity to form stars, while material remaining in the discs around young stars can gradually assemble into planets.

Dust also provides surfaces for chemical reactions and influences how radiation moves through these environments. Studying its properties can therefore help scientists build a more complete picture of the processes that precede planetary formation.

PUFFINS will not directly observe planet formation or determine whether a particular planet supports life. Its contribution will be to improve knowledge of the material between stars and the physical processes that shape the environments from which planetary systems emerge.

Anche, an assistant research professor at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory, studies interstellar dust and its interaction with light. As principal investigator, she leads the mission’s scientific investigation.

PUFFINS also illustrates how smaller spacecraft can support specialised astrophysics research. NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers programme is designed to enable focused scientific investigations using relatively compact, lower-cost platforms.

The mission’s instruments must make precise measurements of ultraviolet polarisation, requiring careful optical design and calibration. The resulting observations will be analysed alongside existing data and theoretical models to investigate the properties and alignment of interstellar dust grains.

Launch timeline

The launch date remains subject to the mission’s development schedule. NASA’s programme information has listed a 2029 launch, while the mission team has identified 2030 as its target.

Once operational, PUFFINS plans to conduct a nine-month science survey. Its observations could help refine models of interstellar dust and improve the interpretation of astronomical measurements across a range of environments.

The mission’s significance lies in examining a largely underexplored aspect of the universe. By studying how microscopic grains influence ultraviolet light, PUFFINS aims to provide new insights into the material between stars—and the processes that shape the formation and evolution of planetary systems.

By Subramanya Joshi

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