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."

Comments

They are very ambitious missions

[YA_Python_dev]

A short summary of the missions, all extremely interesting:

• 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).