University of Chicago Astronomer to Lead Effort to Put New Telescope on the International Space Station

Thirteen nations are collaborating on a project to build the Extreme Universe Space Observatory that will include the placing of a 2.5 meter ultraviolet telescope on the international space station. The goal is to place the telescope in space by 2017.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is enlisting scientists at several universities to work on the U.S. portion of project. The U.S. effort is being led by Angela Olinto, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago. “The goal is to discover the sources of ultra high-energy cosmic rays,” reports Professor Olinto.

Dr. Olinto is a graduate of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. She earned her Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.