2026/01/05 by Arpita Roy, Stuart Feldman, Pete Klupar +51 · 6 voices · 2 citations
#astro-ph.IM #astro-ph.CO #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.HE #astro-ph.SR
The Lazuli Space Observatory is a 3-meter aperture astronomical facility designed for rapid-response observations and precision astrophysics across visible to near-infrared wavelengths (400-1700 nm bandpass). An off-axis, freeform telescope delivers diffraction-limited image quality (Strehl >0.8 at 633 nm) to three instruments across a wide, flat focal plane. The three instruments provide complementary capabilities: a Wide-field Context Camera (WCC) delivers multi-band imaging over a 35' × 12' footprint with high-cadence photometry; an Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) provides continuous 400-1700 nm spectroscopy at R ∼ 100-500 for stable spectrophotometry; and an ExtraSolar Coronagraph (ESC) enables high-contrast imaging expected to reach raw contrasts of 10-8 and post-processed contrasts approaching 10-9. Operating from a 3:1 lunar-resonant orbit, Lazuli will respond to targets of opportunity in under four hours--a programmatic requirement designed to enable routine temporal responsiveness that is unprecedented for a space telescope of this size. Lazuli's technical capabilities are shaped around three broad science areas: (1) time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy, (2) stars and planets, and (3) cosmology. These capabilities enable a potent mix of science spanning gravitational wave counterpart characterization, fast-evolving transients, Type Ia supernova cosmology, high-contrast exoplanet imaging, and spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres. While these areas guide the observatory design, Lazuli is conceived as a general-purpose facility capable of supporting a wide range of astrophysical investigations, with open time for the global community. We describe the observatory architecture and capabilities in the preliminary design phase, with science operations anticipated following a rapid development cycle from concept to launch.