A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soared into the skies from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:12 a.m. EDT on Saturday, July 1, carrying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid spacecraft, a project in which NASA played a key role. Photo Credit: NASA
NASA has provided essential support to this ESA mission, which will augment dark energy research conducted by NASA’s soon-to-be-launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
The ESA Euclid spacecraft commenced its journey from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on July 1, at 11:12 a.m. EDT, marking the start of its quest to understand the accelerating expansion of the universe. The term “dark energy” is used by astronomers to denote the unidentified force behind this accelerated expansion.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, based in Southern California, supplied crucial hardware for one of Euclid’s instruments. Moreover, NASA has set up a Euclid science data center in the U.S. and is funding science teams that will collaborate with other Euclid researchers in investigating dark energy, galaxy evolution, and dark matter. Information from the Euclid mission will also help guide the Nancy Grace Roman mission in its exploration of dark energy.
The successful launch of ESA’s Euclid spacecraft on July 1, 2023, marked the beginning of an ambitious effort to demystify the nature of dark matter and dark energy in the Universe. The spacecraft will create an accurate 3D map of the Universe by observing billions of galaxies and will employ sophisticated scientific instruments for the analysis. The six-year-long mission promises a detailed survey of the sky like never before. Photo Credit: SpaceX
After the successful separation of the Euclid spacecraft from the second stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the ESA confirmed a successful launch. Euclid will undergo various checks and calibrations before beginning to collect scientific data in about three months.
Nicola Fox, the associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, expressed enthusiasm about the launch of the Euclid mission, “We are thrilled about the successful launch of ESA’s Euclid mission and are eager to see the science it returns,” she said. “Euclid is not only paving the way for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope, but it’s also triggering a new golden age of survey astronomy that will help us understand our universe’s history and structure in ways that were not possible before.”
Deciphering Dark Energy
Euclid’s mission could potentially help scientists decide whether our current understanding of gravity needs an overhaul or if a completely new concept is required to explain the universe’s accelerating expansion.
Euclid will generate a cosmic map that covers nearly a third of the sky, plotting the location of millions of galaxies and determining their average distances – a measurement that can provide insights into the effect of dark energy. The spacecraft will observe galaxies as they were about 3 billion years ago, due to the time taken for light from distant objects to reach us. By also observing closer galaxies, the mission will document how the impact of dark energy has changed over time.
On July 1, 2023, ESA’s Euclid spacecraft was successfully launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Its mission is to investigate the enigmatic aspects of the Universe, specifically dark matter and dark energy. Photo Credit: SpaceX
Euclid will also probe dark energy by mapping the distribution of another cosmic enigma called dark matter. Dark matter, which is five times more abundant than ordinary matter, permeates the universe. Although it doesn’t absorb or reflect light, scientists can detect it through its gravitational effects on ordinary matter, like stars and galaxies. The distribution of dark matter is influenced by the outward force of dark energy.
Set to launch by May 2027, the Roman Space Telescope will examine a smaller section of the sky than Euclid but will yield higher resolution images of millions of galaxies, delving deeper into the universe’s past and providing supplementary information. Roman will also survey nearby galaxies, discover and investigate planets throughout our galaxy, study objects on the fringe of our solar system, and more.
More About the Mission
Three scientific teams sponsored by NASA are actively contributing to the Euclid mission. These teams have played a key role in designing and manufacturing the sensor-chip electronics utilized in Euclid’s Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument. The responsibility of procuring and delivering the NISP detectors was also managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of Caltech. These detectors and sensor chip electronics were thoroughly tested at NASA’s Detector Characterization Lab, located at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Moreover, the Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC, based at Caltech in Pasadena, California, is entrusted with the vital tasks of storing the scientific data produced by the mission and supporting U.S.-based scientific investigations.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Euclid spacecraft mission
What is the purpose of the Euclid spacecraft mission?
The mission of the Euclid spacecraft, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) with contributions from NASA, is to explore and understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the mysterious components of the Universe. The spacecraft aims to create an accurate 3D map of the Universe by observing billions of galaxies.
When did the Euclid spacecraft launch?
The Euclid spacecraft was successfully launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 11:12 a.m. EDT on Saturday, July 1, 2023.
What is the role of NASA in the Euclid mission?
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory supplied crucial hardware for one of Euclid’s instruments. In addition, NASA has set up a Euclid science data center in the U.S. and is funding science teams that will collaborate with other Euclid researchers in investigating dark energy, galaxy evolution, and dark matter. The Euclid mission findings will also be useful for NASA’s forthcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
What is the expected duration of the Euclid mission?
The Euclid mission is set to last six years and promises a detailed survey of the sky like never before.
How will the Euclid mission help to understand dark energy?
Euclid will create a cosmic map that covers almost a third of the sky, charting the location of millions of galaxies and measuring the average spacing between them – one indicator of dark energy’s influence. It will also observe galaxies as they were when the universe was about 3 billion years old to track how dark energy’s effect has changed over time.
How will the Euclid mission investigate dark matter?
Euclid will study dark energy by mapping the presence of another mysterious cosmic phenomenon known as dark matter. While dark matter does not absorb or reflect light, scientists can detect it through its gravitational influence on ordinary matter, like stars and galaxies. The distribution of dark matter throughout the cosmos is affected by dark energy’s outward push.
More about Euclid spacecraft mission
- Euclid Mission
- NASA’s Role in Euclid Mission
- SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket
- Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
- Understanding Dark Energy and Dark Matter
- Role of Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Euclid Mission
3 comments
Super stoked for this, Can’t wait to see what they uncover in the next 6 years. Fingers crossed for some groundbreaking findings!!
Its just simply unbelievable…ESA and NASA working together on this, humanity might just crack the code of the universe’s darkest mysteries..way to go!!!
oh my gosh, its amazing how far we’ve come in space exploration. mapping the universe’s dark side? Heck yeah, Sign me up for this voyage!