Inflatable 14-m Off-axis Far-IR Space Telescope Design

The 14-meter off-axis deployable space telescope, Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies (SALTUS), is designed to serve as an exceptionally large far-infrared observatory in space. SALTUS aims to observe thousands of faint astrophysical targets, including the earliest galaxies, protoplanetary disks in different stages of evolution, and various solar system objects. Its architecture incorporates a radiatively cooled, unobscured 14-meter aperture and cryogenic instruments, enabling both high spectral and spatial resolution with unprecedented sensitivity across a wavelength range that is largely inaccessible to current ground-based or space observatories. The innovative SALTUS optical system, featuring a large inflatable off-axis primary mirror, offers exceptional sensitivity, angular resolution, and imaging performance at far-infrared wavelengths over a wide ±0.02° × 0.02° field of view. SALTUS' compact design allows it to fit within existing launch fairings and be easily deployed in orbit.