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A group of scientists from Sussex are joining a new Nasa mission to learn more about galaxies.

The team will be taking the lead on UK plans to send an unpiloted probe into space.

The Sussex scientists will be in charge of the project, working alongside teams from Cardiff, London and Oxfordshire.

Seb Oliver, professor of astrophysics at the University of Sussex, said: "We are very excited to start work with our US partners on developing exceptional space mission concepts."

The aim of the galaxy probe project is to learn more about how galaxies and planetary systems are formed and how they evolve or change over time.

Galaxies are made up of stars, planets and clouds of gas and dust, held together by gravity.

Our own galaxy is called the Milky Way.

The project is great news for UK space science.

The money is coming from the UK Space Agency and this means UK scientists and experts can play important roles in massive global space missions.

The latest announcement follows news that another Sussex-based research group is working with Nasa on an exciting mission to search for water on one of Jupiter's moons.

As well as this, Rosemary Coogan, previously of the University of Sussex is set to become the UK's third astronaut.

Seb Oliver, from the University of Sussex, said: "The UK has an amazing track record in developing new space technology and providing data analysis that allows astronomers to see processes in galaxies, stars and planetary systems that would otherwise be hidden to conventional optical telescopes."