Milky Way and Nearby Galaxies Science with the Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies (SALTUS) Space Observatory

TL;DR

SALTUS is a proposed far-infrared space telescope with a 14-meter mirror designed to study star formation and feedback in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, offering unprecedented resolution and sensitivity for the 2030s.

Contribution

This paper introduces the SALTUS mission concept, highlighting its advanced capabilities and science goals for understanding star formation in the Local Universe.

Findings

Enhanced spatial resolution and spectral sensitivity over previous far-IR missions.

Potential to answer new fundamental questions in galactic astrophysics.

Plans for notional observing programs in guaranteed and open time.

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies science case for the \textit{Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies} (SALTUS) far-infrared NASA probe-class mission concept. SALTUS offers enormous gains in spatial resolution and spectral sensitivity over previous far-IR missions, thanks to its cold ($<$40~K) 14-m primary mirror. Key Milky Way and nearby galaxies science goals for SALTUS focus on understanding the role of star formation in feedback in the Local Universe. In addition to this science case, SALTUS would open a new window to to of Galactic and extragalactic communities in the 2030s, enable fundamentally new questions to be answered, and be a far-IR analog to the near- and mid-IR capabilities of JWST. This paper summarizes the Milky Way and nearby galaxies science case and plans for notional observing programs in both guaranteed and guest (open) time.