ESA and Airbus have signed an agreement on the creation of a new space observatory for the study of exoplanets. It is planned to launch in 2029.
The signing of the contract for the development and construction of the new Ariel telescope was announced by the official website of the European Space Agency (ESA). The device will use the visible and infrared ranges. Ariel will focus on the composition of planets outside the Solar System, the history of their formation and evolution.
Among other things, scientists will analyze how different types of stars affect the formation of planets. This will also allow us to better understand the evolution of our system. In total, the observatory is expected to study more than 1,000 exoplanets.
Ariel Telescope
Image source: ESA
Ariel will complete three ESA special missions to study exoplanets. The first was Cheops: the telescope was launched on December 18, 2019. The second mission, PLATO, is due to launch in 2026. The launch of the Ariel telescope is scheduled for 2029. The main work on the design, production and integration of the elements of the complex will be carried out in Toulouse.
Recall that on December 22, the long-awaited launch of the James Webb Space Telescope infrared laboratory is due to take place. You can watch the broadcast on our website.
