{"id":38241,"date":"2026-06-10T22:59:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T17:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/?p=38241"},"modified":"2026-06-10T22:59:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T17:14:56","slug":"esa-adopts-arrakihs-galactic-archaeology-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/esa-adopts-arrakihs-galactic-archaeology-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"ESA adopts Arrakihs galactic archaeology mission"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
“Simulated Arrakihs mock image of a galaxy halo”. Credit: Alex Camaz\u00f3n (IEEC), AMC<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The European Space Agency (ESA) has formally adopted its Arrakihs mission, a project designed to study faint galaxy haloes and uncover the hidden history of galactic formation. Scheduled for launch by the end of 2030, the spacecraft will capture low-surface-brightness light from nearby galaxies to reveal how systems like the Milky Way formed and evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adoption marks the end of the study phase, confirming feasibility and committing ESA to full implementation. The mission now enters development, during which the spacecraft and its instruments will be built, integrated and tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrakihs is ESA\u2019s second \u201cfast-class\u201d mission under the Cosmic Vision programme, requiring less than a decade from selection in November 2022 to launch. The Science Programme Committee approved the adoption during its meeting at the Instituto Astrof\u00edsico de Canarias in Tenerife on June 10\u201311.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArrakihs is a ground-breaking and unique galactic archaeology mission,\u201d ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell said. \u201cBy uncovering hard-to-see galaxy haloes, it will reveal new details of how galaxies form and whether the Milky Way is unique. Its rapid development showcases the flexibility and breadth of ESA\u2019s Science Programme.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mission\u2019s name stands for Analysis of Resolved Remnants of Accreted galaxies as a Key Instrument for Halo Surveys<\/em>. It will investigate at least 80 galaxies of similar mass to the Milky Way, mapping stellar streams and remnants of past mergers to test models of galaxy formation and the role of dark matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrakihs will carry a single instrument comprising two pairs of binocular telescopes, each sensitive to different wavelengths from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared. The instrument is being developed by a consortium led by Spain, with contributions from Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Portugal and Sweden, supported through ESA\u2019s Prodex programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mission will join ESA\u2019s fleet of Cosmic Observers, which address fundamental questions about the laws of the universe and its origins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The European Space Agency (ESA) has formally adopted its Arrakihs mission, a project designed to study faint galaxy haloes and uncover the hidden history of galactic formation. Scheduled for launch by the end of 2030, the spacecraft will capture low-surface-brightness light from nearby galaxies to reveal how systems like the Milky Way formed and evolved. 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