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ESA Selects Next Generation Space Missions
davecl writes "The European Space Agency has announced the results of its Cosmic Visions 2015-2025 call for proposals. Fifty space science missions for the next decade were proposed, with just seven selected. They range from X-ray and far-infrared observatories to planet finders and a near-earth asteroid sample return mission. These seven, together with the LISA gravitational wave observatory, will go ahead for further study in the next few years, and then two will be chosen for launch in 2015-2017."
- Laplace. To study the Jovian system (three orbiters, one entirely dedicated to Europa!) in collaboration with NASA.
- Tandem. To study the Saturnian-Titanian-Enceladusian environment (orbiter+carrier with a balloon and 3 probes to Titan) in colaboration with NASA.
- Marco Polo. Sample return mission from an asteroid (à la Hayabusa) with orbiter+lander, sampler and return capsule; in collaboration with JAXA.
- Dune/SPACE. Two proposed missions to study dark matter and dark energy.
- Plato. Extrasolar planets detector, capable of detecting rocky planets.
- Spica. Infrared telescope with wide field of analysis, spectroscopy and coronograph; in collaboration with JAXA.
- XEUS. X-ray telescope to study extreme environments from L2 halo orbit, consisting on a mirror satellite and a detector satellite flying in formation.
- Cross-Scale. Proposed to employ 12 spacecraft, would make simultaneous measurements of plasma - the gas of charged particles surrounding Earth - on different scales at shocks, reconnection sites, and turbulent regions in near-Earth space.
[thanks to eeergo from NSF for the short list]At least one of the first two (Laplace or Tandem) will almost certainly be selected, the second one approved will probably be an astronomy mission (i.e. observation of objects outside of the solar system).
There's a hidden treasure in Python 3.x: __prepare__()
Space missions aren't particularly resource-intensive; after all, the probes rarely weigh more than a few tonnes. They're expensive because they use a lot of staff time and rocket scientists aren't cheap, but about the only resource that they use which is in any sense rare is xenon for ion drives. Bits of space probe are quite often machined from solid ingots of relatively costly materials like inconel, but generally you can recycle the chips.
An Ariane 5 burns 25 tons of liquid hydrogen in 130 tons of liquid oxygen, and is assisted by about 480 tons of ammonium perchlorate and aluminium powder in the solid rocket boosters; the materials costs are trivial in comparison to the cost of the engineers who designed and assembled the machine. Liquid oxygen is significantly cheaper than milk (say 10 cents per kilogram), and 130 tons is much less than the daily consumption by even a modest steelworks; liquid hydrogen is cheaper than beer at about $4 per kilo.
As someone closely associated with the selection process, let me add a little background that might be helpful to interested /.ers.
1. In principle just two of these missions will proceed to flight in 2017-2018, following studies of all seven over the next couple of years. However, the important number is the 950Meuro budget envelope allocated for this round of Cosmic Vision: depending on how costs shape up during the study phase, we go for a different mix of missions. That number is the cost to ESA itself: you also need to factor in anticipated additional contributions (e.g. for payload) from ESA member states and third party countries (e.g. US, Japan, Russia, China).
2. One poster suggested that either Laplace or Tandem was most likely to fly in one slot, with an astronomy mission in the other: this is in no way decided, at this point. We sent Laplace and Tandem through at this stage as NASA is looking closely at the same basic missions; indeed, for either to fly would require strong (majority) NASA partnership, as ambitious outer solar systems missions cost more like $2G, rather than the ~600-650Meuro ESA might put in. Following discussions and a selection process in the US, one or other of Laplace or Tandem will go through to the full European study stage. Then, in order to proceed to flight, we will need to decide whether we prefer that mission over XEUS or LISA for the 2017-2018 slot: they are the other L(arge)-missions selected for study.
3. Dune and Space were similarly selected in the full knowledge that the US is planning a Dark Energy mission as well. Further talks with NASA on competition, collaboration, and complementarity in ths arena are very likely.
4. Keep in mind that this is just the first round of Cosmic Vision: we anticipate a second selection round in 3 years or so, at which point other missions may be selected, perhaps from those of the seven here not finally picked for flight in the first round, perhaps from the 43 others which did not make it this far (some were felt to be extremely interesting, but not ready technologically for 2017-2018), or perhaps something new altogether.
5. Finally, yes, we'd all like to have more money available to ESA to fund these and other exciting missions: we have plenty of interesting ideas. Europeans should think about writing to their parliamentary / governmental representatives about exactly this point. That said, it's not quite true to say, as someone did, that we're newbies in this game: ESA has been involved in a whole bunch of excellent astronomy and solar system missions already (Giotto, Rosetta, ISO, SOHO, XMM, Mars Express, HST, to name but a few), some alone, some in collaboration. There are more to come over the next few years as well (e.g. Herschel, Planck, Gaia, JWST), so watch this space (sorry).