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Future actively cooled space-borne observatories for the far-infrared,loosely defined as a 1--10 THz band, can potentially reach a sensitivitylimited only by background radiation from the Universe. This will result in anincrease in observing speed of many orders of magnitude. A spectroscopicinstrument on such an observatory requires large arrays of detectors with asensitivity expressed as a noise equivalent power NEP = 3 $\times 10^{-20}$$W\surd{Hz}$. We present the design, fabrication, and characterisation ofmicrowave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) for this frequency rangereaching the required sensitivity. The devices are based on thin-film NbTiNresonators which use lens-antenna coupling to a submicron-width aluminiumtransmission line at the shorted end of the resonator where the radiation isabsorbed. We optimised the MKID geometry for a low NEP by using a smallaluminium volume of $\approx$ 1$\mu m^3$ and fabricating the aluminium sectionon a very thin (100 nm) SiN membrane. Both methods of optimisation also reducethe effect of excess noise by increasing the responsivity of the device, whichis further increased by reducing the parasitic geometrical inductance of theresonator. We measure the sensitivity of eight MKIDs with respect to the powerabsorbed in the detector using a thermal calibration source filtered in anarrow band around 1.55 THz. We obtain aNEP$_{exp}(P_{abs})\:=\:3.1\pm0.9\times10^{-20}\:W\surd{Hz}$ at a modulationfrequency of 200 Hz averaged over all measured MKIDs. The NEP is limited byquasiparticle trapping. The measured sensitivity is sufficient forspectroscopic observations from future, actively cooled space-basedobservatories. Moreover, the presented device design and assembly can beadapted for frequencies up to $\approx$ 10 THz and can be readily implementedin kilopixel arrays.

Ultra-sensitive Super-THz Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors for future space telescopes