Abstract:

The Gal/Xgal Ultra-Long Duration Balloon-borne Spectroscopic THz Observatory (GUSTO) is a selected NASA Explorer mission. GUSTO will provide dramatic new insights into our cosmic origins by probing the topology and ecology of interstellar gas throughout the Milky Way and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). GUSTO utilizes a balloon-borne, 0.9 m telescope with state-of-the-art heterodyne receivers that are designed to stay aloft for 100 days or more. During this time GUSTO will survey 124 square degrees of the Milky Way and all of the LMC in three important interstellar lines of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.

GUSTO is a joint effort between the University of Arizona, SRON, TU-Delft, Johns Hopkins Applied Laboratory, MIT, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Arizona State University, and the University of Maryland. 

Organized by Faculty of Applied Sciences (QN & IS) and TU Delft Space Institute.