SALTUS

SALTUS (for Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies) is a plan for a future NASA 14-m far infrared space telescope. A unique part of the plan is that the primary mirror (termed M1) would be an inflated structure (a 20-meter aperture was considered, but the plan has settled on 14 meters). Considerable design-efforts are for a mechanism to maintain a precise parabolic shape, and for a means of dealing with damage from micrometeorites. The mirror would be kept cool much like JWST, merely shielding it. Instrument concepts:

• HiRX (High Resolution Receiver).
• SAFARI-Lite (SALTUS Far-Infrared Lite) - spectrometer, a simplified version of SPICA's proposed SAFARI instrument.