Euclid telescope, the European space telescope blasted off on July 1on a quest to explore the mysterious and invisible realm known as the dark universe.
SpaceX launched the European Space Agency’s Euclid observatory toward its ultimate destination one million miles (1.5 million kilometres) away, the Webb Space Telescope’s neighbourhood.
The telescope was originally due to launch on a Russian Soyuz rocket, but SpaceX stepped in after relations with Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA) broke down last year because of the Ukraine war.
Led by the European Space Agency (ESA), several international partners, including NASA, collaborate with the mission. The primary goal of the Euclid mission is to investigate the nature of dark energy, believed to be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the Universe.
NAME
Named after the Greek mathematician Euclid of Alexandria, who lived around 300 BC and founded the subject of geometry. The mission named in his honour as the density of matter and energy linked to the geometry of the universe.
OBJECTIVE
The Euclid telescope will map the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies over a large portion of the sky. By observing the shapes, positions, and distances of billions of galaxies, it will provide valuable data to study the evolution of cosmic structures and understand the role of dark energy in this process. The mission will also study weak gravitational lensing, a phenomenon that occurs when light from distant galaxies is bent by the gravitational influence of matter, including dark matter, along its path.
To accomplish its scientific objectives, the Euclid telescope is equipped with a 1.2-meter primary mirror and two scientific instruments: the visible imager (VIS) and the near-infrared spectrometer and photometer (NISP). The VIS instrument will observe light in the visible range, while NISP will focus on near-infrared wavelengths.
Euclid is expected to provide crucial insights into the nature of dark energy and dark matter, helping scientists unravel the mysteries of the Universe’s expansion and structure. Its observations will contribute to our understanding of fundamental physics, cosmology, and the origin and evolution of the Universe.
SPACECRAFT AND INSTRUMENTS
It consists of two major components: the service module and the payload module. The payload module comprises a 1.2-m-diameter telescope and two scientific instruments: a visible-wavelength camera (the VISible instrument, VIS) and a near-infrared camera/spectrometer (the Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer, NISP). The service module contains the satellite systems: electric power generation and distribution, attitude control, data processing electronics, propulsion, telecommand and telemetry, and thermal control.
The Euclid spacecraft is approximately 4.7 m tall and 3.7 m in diameter. It consists of two major components: the service module and the payload module.
The payload module comprises a 1.2-m-diameter telescope and two scientific instruments: a visible-wavelength camera (the VISible instrument, VIS) and a near-infrared camera/spectrometer (the Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer, NISP). The service module contains the satellite systems: electric power generation and distribution, attitude control, data processing electronics, propulsion, telecommand and telemetry, and thermal control.