2023-07-07 17:07:16
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The space telescope “Euclid” of the European space agency ESA is to explore the “dark universe”. (Artist’s rendering) © IMAGO/Science Photo Library
A SpaceX rocket launched the Euclid space telescope. The space probe is to explore the mysterious “dark universe”.
The ESA Euclid space telescope is set to explore the mysterious “dark universe”. Launched on a SpaceX rocket on July 1, the spacecraft will be on its way to its destination, the Earth-Sun Lagrange point, for about thirty days L2.”Euclid” is supposed to create, among other things, a 3D map of the universe, with time as the third dimension. The telescope will also provide researchers with data on dark matter and dark energy.
Summary from 6:15 p.m.: The ESA Euclid space telescope is on its way to the Earth-Sun Lagrange point L2 after a routine launch with a SpaceX Falcon 9. It is about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth and is home to the James Webb space telescope, among other things. “Euclid” will observe the universe from there for six years and create a 3D map of the universe with time as the third dimension. The data collected by the spacecraft should help researchers find out more about the mysterious dark energy and dark matter. The “Euclid” mission is scheduled for six years, but an extension is possible.
Name:EuclidType:Space TelescopeMission Duration:6 years (extension possible)Dimensions:4.5m × 3.1mLocation:Sun-Earth-Lagrange Point L2Distance:about 1.5 million kilometers
ESA’s Euclid spacecraft is on its way to point L2 in space
Update from 5:57 p.m.: The signal from “Euclid” was received punctually to the minute in Esa’s space control center ESOC in Darmstadt. Now it is being checked whether the space probe survived the launch well.
Update from 5:53 p.m.: The Euclid space telescope has separated from the second rocket stage and is now on its own. In a few minutes, the Esa expects the first contact.
The Euclid space telescope travels through space
Update from 5.45 p.m.: The second rocket stage was launched for the second time and shut down again. At 5:53 p.m., the Euclid space telescope is due to separate from the second rocket stage and will then be alone in space. Esa expects the first contact with “Euclid” at 5:57 p.m. at the earliest. The signal is to be captured by ESA’s New Norcia Deep Space Ground Station in Australia.
Update from 5:21 p.m.: The first rocket stage has landed successfully. At the same time, the second rocket stage has shut down, the spacecraft is in a good orbit. In about eight minutes, the second stage of the rocket will be launched for the second time.
Update from 5:17 p.m.: As Euclid makes its way to its destination, Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2, 1.5 million kilometers away, SpaceX’s first rocket stage is about to land on a drone ship at sea.
Update from 5:13 p.m.: The rocket has launched and is on its way into space.
The space telescope “Euclid” of the European space agency ESA is to explore the “dark universe”. (Artist’s rendering) © IMAGO/Science Photo Library
ESA mission “Euclid” is on its way into space
Update from 5:10 p.m.: The rocket is about to take off from Cape Canaveral. The space telescope takes about 30 days to fly to its intended destination.
Update from 4:55 p.m.: A quick look at the upcoming rocket launch: The “Falcon 9” rocket with “Euclid” is scheduled to launch at 5:12 p.m. (CEST). A rocket booster that has already been used once is used. The plan is that after eight and a half minutes it will land on a drone ship in the sea to be reused again.
The main points of the rocket launch:
00:00:00 (17:12 CEST) rocket launches 00:02:37-00:02:401. Rocket stage shuts down and separates00:02:482. Rocket stage launches00:08:032. Rocket stage shuts down00:08:311. Rocket stage lands00:17:102. Rocket stage starts again00:18:282. Rocket stage switches off again00:40:58Euclid separates from the rocket stage17:57 CESTearliest possibility of receiving a signal from EuclidSource: SpaceX/Esa
SpaceX rocket to bring Esa mission into space – with live stream
Update from 4:40 p.m.: Before the space probe “Euclid” can take a look into the “dark universe”, the space telescope first has to go into space. For this, Esa relies on a private rocket operator: SpaceX from founder Elon Musk. The original plan was to launch into space with a Russian Soyuz rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana. But this was no longer possible due to the Russia sanctions because of the Ukraine war – SpaceX is the alternative, a “Falcon 9” rocket will bring “Euclid” into space.
Update from 4:05 p.m.: In just over an hour, a SpaceX “Falcon 9” rocket will lift off from the Cape Canaveral spaceport and carry the “Euclid” space telescope on its way. Eight and a half minutes after launch, the first stage of the rocket is supposed to land again on a drone ship in the sea, while the second stage of the rocket transports “Euclid” for almost 41 minutes. The spacecraft then separates from the rest of the rocket and makes its own way to Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2, 1.5 million kilometers away.
SpaceX rocket launches today with ESA’s Euclid space telescope
First report from June 30, 10:40 a.m.: Cape Canaveral – The European Space Agency Esa wants to investigate the “dark universe” and the space probe Send “Euclid” into space. Today (July 1) the time has come: at 5:12 p.m. (CEST) a “Falcon 9” rocket from the private space company SpaceX will carry the space telescope into space.
It is planned that the space telescope will explore space from the second Lagrange point (L2) in the Earth-Sun system. About thirty days after launch, Euclid is expected to arrive there, about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. The space telescope will then look back for six years (an extension is possible) up to ten billion years into the past and create the largest 3D map of the universe to date. “Euclid” is primarily intended to help cosmology to answer fundamental questions about the so-called “dark universe”.
ESA space probe “Euclid” to explore the “dark universe”.
The “dark universe” is that part of the universe that cannot be seen – neither in visible light nor in other wavelengths. This refers to phenomena such as dark energy and dark matter, which play an important role in cosmology but which have hardly been explored. With the help of “Euclid” it should be possible to answer questions about the distribution of dark matter in the universe, but also to clarify the properties of dark energy.
The “dark universe”: what about dark matter and dark energy?
The ESA mission is long awaited by many experts, because the “dark universe” is almost everywhere in space and many questions are unanswered. In space, galaxies are arranged in clusters of galaxies that are interconnected. The regions in between are only apparently empty – in them there is an unknown material: the dark matter. Despite decades of research, we still don’t know exactly what it consists of. But data that “Euclid” will collect should help with the research.
The new Esa space telescope is also intended to help research on the subject of dark energy. In astronomy, anything that accelerates the expansion of the universe is called dark energy. Research assumes that it is present in vast quantities in space, but very little is known about it. And here, too, “Euclid” is intended to help research. (tab)
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