spacetoday.net: ESA approves dark matter and energy mission

Posted: Sat, Jun 23, 2012, 10:52 AM ET (1452 GMT)
Euclid spacecraft illustration (ESA)

The European Space Agency (ESA) gave its approval this week for the development of a space observatory that will seek new evidence of dark matter and dark energy. ESA gave the go-ahead to begin construction of Euclid, a spacecraft slated for launch in 2020, after selecting the mission as part of its Cosmic Vision program last fall. The spacecraft features a 1.2-meter telescope with instruments to map the three-dimensional distribution of up to two billion galaxies, measuring the dark matter associated with those galaxies and how they are affected by the accelerating expansion of the universe linked to dark energy. The total cost of the mission is estimated to be €600 million (US$750 million), with NASA taking a small share in the mission by providing infrared detectors for the spacecraft.