European mission to explore the dark universe heads for launch site
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid satellite has taken another step on its journey to explore the dark universe.
On April 15, Euclid set sail for a port near the launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the ESA announced today.
The spacecraft is expected to reach the launch site in early May. The launch will take place in July on a SpaceX Falcon 9.
After launch, Eulic will travel 1.5 million km from Earth to Earth Lagrange point L2, a favorable location for studying deep space. From L2, it will start exploring the dark universe.
ESA has great ambitions for the mission. The agency wants map the large-scale structure of the universe. It also aims to shed light on the power of dark matter and dark energy, which make up an estimated 95% of the universe.
To investigate these mysteries, Euclid plans to create the largest, most accurate 3D map of the universe ever created. The satellite will observe billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light-years away, covering more than a third of the sky.
The map will provide insight into how the universe has expanded and how its structure has evolved over cosmic history. It will also reveal more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter.
The prime contractor for Euclid is Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales of France and Leonardo of Italy. The company is one of Europe’s leading satellite manufacturers.
In total, more than 80 European companies are involved in the mission. They include Airbus Defense and Space, who built the telescope – the payload module’s main instrument.
“Every aspect of this project is a real challenge.
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Prior to his journey, Euclid underwent a rigorous testing program at the Thales Alenia Space factory in Cannes.
“Over the past few months, we’ve focused on the thermal vacuum, mechanical and electromagnetic compatibility tests,” said Laurent Sanna, assembly integration and test systems manager for Euclid in Cannes.
“Our biggest challenge was to run these tests while keeping to the tight schedule and taking into account changes to the baseline launcher. Because Euclid’s performance requirements are so demanding, every aspect of this project is a real challenge.”
After testing, the satellite was sealed in a shipping container, which was purged with nitrogen to maintain a cleanroom environment. The temperature, pressure and humidity are monitored during the journey.
The satellite was then convoyed to the port of Savona, Italy. Upon arrival, it boarded a ship for Florida. From there, the journey into the dark universe will really begin.
