The Modern Universe Space Telescope

Abstract

T Modern Universe Space Telescope (MUST) is a 10-m, diffraction limited optical-ultraviolet (UV) telescope that crosses a new threshold in terms of sensitivity, imaging resolution, and scientifi c return. The optical UV is, and will remain, the most powerful bandpass for studying physical processes in the modern (local and low redshift) universe. Stars emit most of their light in this wavelength regime, and the diffraction limit in the optical UV is 5–10 times better than in the infrared (IR) for the same telescope aperture. The power of high-resolution imaging, coupled with high-performance spectroscopy, is unmatched for enabling a broad spectrum of scientifi c inquiry and public engagement. Even the next generation of extremely large ground-based telescopes currently under study cannot match the performance of a space telescope. Exquisite imaging over wide fi elds and access to the UV are ruled out by the atmosphere. One need only look at the science continuing to be achieved by the 2.4-m Hubble Space Telescope (HST) today, even with 10-m telescopes on the ground, to recognize that both groundand space-based capabilities are needed to address the fundamental science issues. MUST is not merely a continuation of HST; it is intended as the logical and worthy successor to the HST, arguably the most successful scientifi c mission in the history of NASA. We present here an observatory that will be worthy of assuming that title. The MUST observatory will be robotically assembled at Sun–Earth L2, paving the way for a mission architecture that will be scalable to even larger mirror