Author Topic: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates  (Read 85022 times)

Offline bolun

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ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« on: 12/02/2009 05:11 pm »
ESA's  M-class Cosmic Vision 2015 - 2025 candidates

02 Dec 2009

A series of formal presentations on the 6 medium-class candidate missions in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan was made to a large gathering of Europe's scientific community on 1 December. This meeting marks the end of the assessment phase and the start of the down-selection process. The assessment study reports are now available.

The Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan is the current embodiment of ESA's long term scientific programme. The plan, which has been defined following consultation with the European scientific community, identifies the major scientific questions to be addressed by ESA' s future space science missions.

The missions under study as M-class candidates for a launch in 2017 and 2018 are:

Cross Scale – Performing detailed in situ multi-spacecraft exploration of universal plasma phenomena occurring in near-Earth space in order to address fundamental questions such as: how shocks accelerate and heat particles; how reconnection converts magnetic energy and how turbulence transports energy.

Euclid - Mapping the geometry of the dark Universe by investigating the distance-redshift relationship and the evolution of cosmic structures through two complementary methods: baryonic acoustic oscillations measurements and weak gravitational lensing, by means of a visible/near-infrared survey of all galaxies and clusters of galaxies out to a redshift of about 2.

Marco Polo - Returning a sample from a primitive Near-Earth asteroid which will allow the study of the origin and formation of the Solar System and the planets, characterisation of a Near-Earth asteroid as a representative of a primitive Solar System body, and contribute to the field of astrobiology.

PLATO – Detecting and characterising exoplanetary systems of all kinds, by providing a full statistical analysis of exoplanetary systems around stars that are bright and nearby enough to allow for simultaneous and/or later detailed studies of their host stars.

Solar Orbiter - Approaching the Sun as close as 48 solar radii, Solar Orbiter will view the solar atmosphere with high spatial resolution and combine this with measurements made in situ. Over the extended mission periods Solar Orbiter will deliver images and data that will cover the polar regions and the side of the Sun not visible from Earth.

SPICA - Probing galaxy, star and planetary system formation, as well as the evolution of dust and gas in the interstellar medium of our own and distant galaxies, with imaging and spectroscopy spanning mid- to far-infrared wavelengths.

Next step: down-selection to 3 to 4 M-class missions

In mid-January the advisory bodies will convene to prepare a recommendation for which of these M-class mission concepts should be carried forward to the definition phase. On the basis of this recommendation the Executive will present a proposal to the Science Programme Committee in February 2010.

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=46009

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=100

« Last Edit: 07/25/2015 08:15 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #1 on: 12/02/2009 05:18 pm »

European space missions given cost warning


Europe's scientists have presented the six dream space missions they would like to fly before 2020.

The European Space Agency (Esa) will probably carry just three or four of the ideas forward for further study.

And it warned some of the concept teams that their likely costs would bust the budget available to carry them out.

The agency intends to allocate the best ventures up to 475 million euros (£430m) (at 2010 prices) each to implement their ideas.

But the early cost estimates indicate four of the competing consortia are already struggling to shape those ideas to the cash available, and two of the missions are projected to have a final price for Esa of 600 million euros (£540m) or more.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8389906.stm

« Last Edit: 12/02/2009 05:20 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #2 on: 01/21/2010 06:44 pm »

Esa mission concepts vie for position

The competition to find the next great European space mission has seen three ideas move to the front of the field.

- A satellite that would map the "dark Universe" (called Euclid), a probe to study the Sun up-close (Solar Orbiter), and a telescope to find distant planets (Plato).

The European Space Agency's (Esa) Science Programme Committee (SPC) will meet next month to consider the current status of the candidates. A final decision is unlikely to be made for a year or so.

Only two missions can be afforded out of the three.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8469782.stm


Offline Analyst

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #3 on: 01/21/2010 07:31 pm »
"... the next great European ..." They are all great, even if they are "just" medium (M), not large (L) missions. The latter will come a little later, are even more great (and hopefully include a Ganymede orbiter). The two L missions already in the making are Gaia and BeppiColumbo.

Analyst
« Last Edit: 01/21/2010 07:35 pm by Analyst »

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #4 on: 02/20/2010 06:32 pm »

ESA chooses three scientific missions for further study

19 February 2010

ESA’s Science Programme Committee (SPC) approved three missions to enter the so-called definition phase. This is the next step required before the final decision is taken as to which missions are implemented.

The three proposals chosen to proceed are Euclid, PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO), and Solar Orbiter. Only two missions out of three of them, can be selected for the M-class launch slots. The final decision about which missions to implement will be taken after the definition activities are completed, which is foreseen to be in mid-2011.
 
In addition, the SPC has decided to consider at its next meeting in June, whether to also select a European contribution to the SPICA mission. SPICA would be an infrared space telescope led by the Japanese Space Agency JAXA. It would provide ‘missing-link’ infrared coverage in the region of the spectrum between that seen by the ESA-NASA Webb telescope and the ground-based ALMA telescope. SPICA would focus on the conditions for planet formation and distant young galaxies.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMSHM7CS5G_index_0.html

« Last Edit: 02/20/2010 06:39 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #5 on: 07/25/2010 09:07 pm »

Notification of a forthcoming Call for Proposals for a medium-sized mission with a possible launch in 2022

08 Jul 2010

At the end of July 2010, the Director of Science and Robotic Exploration plans to issue a Call for Proposals for medium-sized (M-class) missions, as part of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Plan - ESA's long term scientific plan.

The Call is planned to lead to the selection of one M-class mission for a launch opportunity currently foreseen around late 2022.

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=47371

Offline simonbp

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #6 on: 07/26/2010 05:25 am »
The three proposals chosen to proceed are Euclid, PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO), and Solar Orbiter.

PLATO is like Kepler on Steroids, with a huge array of small telescopes looking for exoplanet transits across a much wider field than the single-aperture Kepler. The fate of PLATO thus really hangs on what the Kepler results announced in October look like...

Offline Alpha_Centauri

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #7 on: 07/28/2010 01:01 am »
I'm not so sure about that, there is one other crucial difference between Kepler and PLATO, PLATO will be able to observe much brighter stars than Kepler can.  The main problem with Kepler is that no matter what results it churns out, there is little chance of RV follow-up on most of it's discoveries because of the relatively dim stars and even if there is it's pushing the limit of what's achievable.

Kepler is essentially testing the water, collecting stats, PLATO will instead discover the first planets that can really be studied in detail. So the requirement for PLATO is there really no matter what Kepler turns up.
« Last Edit: 07/28/2010 01:03 am by Alpha_Centauri »

Offline Drkskywxlt

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #8 on: 07/28/2010 02:39 pm »
From what I've read, PLATO is the only one of these candidates that is currently forecasted to stay below the cost cap of 485M Euro.  So, that might be a big feather in it's cap alone. 

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #9 on: 08/01/2010 08:54 pm »

Call for a Medium-size mission opportunity for a launch in 2022

29 Jul 2010

Through the present Call for Missions the Director of Science and Robotic Exploration solicits from the broad scientific community proposals for the competitive selection of mission concepts to be candidate for the implementation of one medium-size (M-class) mission for launch in 2022, following the launch of the first L-class mission.

The launch of the M-class mission selected through the present Call could be brought forward to approximately 2020 should the first L-class mission slip in time.

The ceiling to the cost to ESA for an M-class mission is 470 MEuro.

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=47570

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #10 on: 02/25/2011 02:48 pm »
Four candidates selected for the next medium-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision (M3 Period 2020-22)

25 Feb 2011

Looking ahead to the next decade of scientific exploration, ESA has today (25 February) selected four candidates for a medium-class mission that will launch in the period 2020-22. The candidates cover very different areas of scientific research, ranging from investigations of black holes and general relativity to near-Earth asteroid sample return and studies of planets orbiting distant stars.

The four proposals chosen to proceed for assessment are EChO, LOFT, MarcoPolo-R and STE-QUEST.

- The Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EChO) would be the first dedicated mission to investigate exoplanetary atmospheres, addressing the suitability of those planets for life and placing our Solar System in context.
       
      Orbiting around the L2 Lagrange point, 1.5 million km from Earth in the anti-sunward direction, EChO would provide high resolution, multi-wavelength spectroscopic observations. It would measure the atmospheric composition, temperature and albedo of a representative sample of known exoplanets, constrain models of their internal structure and improve our understanding of how planets form and evolve.
       
- The Large Observatory For X-ray Timing (LOFT) is intended to answer fundamental questions about the motion of matter orbiting close to the event horizon of a black hole, and the state of matter in neutron stars, by detecting their very rapid X-ray flux and spectral variability.
       
      LOFT would carry two instruments: a Large Area Detector with an effective area far larger than current spaceborne X-ray detectors, and a Wide Field Monitor that would monitor a large fraction of the sky. With its high spectral resolution, LOFT would revolutionise studies of collapsed objects in our Galaxy and of the brightest supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei.
       
MarcoPolo-R is a mission to return a sample of material from a primitive near-Earth asteroid (NEA) for detailed analysis in ground-based laboratories. The scientific data would help to answer key questions about the processes that occurred during planet formation and the evolution of the rocks which were the building blocks of terrestrial planets.
       
      The mission would also reveal whether NEAs contain pre-solar material not yet found in meteorite samples, determine the nature and origin of the organic compounds they contain, and possibly shed light on the origin of molecules necessary for life.
       
- The Space-Time Explorer and Quantum Equivalence Principle Space Test (STE-QUEST) is devoted to precise measurement of the effects of gravity on time and matter. Its main objective would be to test the Principle of Equivalence, a fundamental assumption of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. STE-QUEST would measure space-time curvature by comparing the tick rate of an atomic clock on the spacecraft with other clocks on the ground.
       
      A second primary goal is a quantum test of the Universality of Free Fall – the theory that gravitational acceleration is universal, independent of the type of body.

There are currently three missions - Euclid, PLATO and Solar Orbiter - which are undergoing competitive assessment for selection as the first and second medium class missions under Cosmic Vision. The final selection for M1 and M2 will be made later this year, with launches expected in 2017-18.

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=48467
« Last Edit: 03/01/2011 08:31 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #11 on: 04/04/2011 08:44 pm »
Web pages of ESA Cosmic Vision M3 candidates:

- EChO: http://echo-spacemission.eu/
 
- LOFT: http://gri.rm.iasf.cnr.it/index.htm

- MarcoPolo-R:  http://www.oca.eu/MarcoPolo-R/
       
- STE-QUEST: http://www.exphy.uni-duesseldorf.de/optical_clock/ste-quest.php

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #12 on: 09/27/2011 01:02 pm »
Call for declaration of Interest in Science Instrumentation - Cosmic Vision Mission: STE-QUEST

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=49230

Call for declaration of Interest in Science Instrumentation - Cosmic Vision Mission: Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EChO)

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=49228

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #13 on: 10/04/2011 07:19 pm »
Dark and bright: ESA chooses next two science missions (M1 and M2 Missions)
 
4 October 2011

ESA PR 25 2011 - The powerful influence of the Sun and the nature of the mysterious 'dark energy' motivate ESA’s next two science missions. Solar Orbiter and Euclid were selected today by ESA's Science Programme Committee for implementation, with launches planned for 2017 and 2019.

Solar Orbiter´s launch is planned for 2017 from Cape Canaveral with a NASA-provided Atlas launch vehicle. 

Euclid's launch, on a Soyuz launch vehicle, is planned for 2019 from Europe's Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana.

These two missions are medium-class missions and are the first in ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Plan.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMOZ59U7TG_index_0.html
« Last Edit: 10/04/2011 07:28 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #14 on: 10/04/2011 07:36 pm »
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15146082

Quote
Europe is to lead the most ambitious space mission ever undertaken to study the behaviour of the Sun.

Known as Solar Orbiter, the probe will have to operate a mere 42 million km from our star - closer than any spacecraft to date.

The mission proposal was formally adopted by European Space Agency (Esa) member states on Tuesday.

Solar Orbiter is expected to launch in 2017 and will cost close to a billion euros.

Nasa (the US space agency) will participate, providing two instruments for the probe and the rocket to send it on its way.

The Esa delegates, who were meeting in Paris, also selected a mission to investigate two of the great mysteries of modern cosmology - dark matter and dark energy.

The Euclid telescope will map the distribution of galaxies to try to get some fresh insight on these dark puzzles.

Like Solar Orbiter, Euclid's cost will be close to a billion euros. However, the mission still needs to clear some legal hurdles and formal adoption is not expected until next year. A launch could occur in 2019.

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #15 on: 10/10/2011 07:05 pm »
Call for declaration of Interest in Science Instrumentation - Cosmic Vision Mission: LOFT

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=49357

Offline bolun

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #16 on: 11/14/2011 07:55 pm »
Call for declaration of Interest in Science Instrumentation - Cosmic Vision Mission: MarcoPolo-R

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=49359

Offline Alpha_Centauri

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #17 on: 12/10/2011 02:15 pm »
http://www.oact.inaf.it/plato/PPLC/News/Entries/2011/12/1_PLATO_Newsletter_files/PLATO-Newsletter-1_1.pdf

Plato team plan to submit an application to the M3 selection competition.

Offline simonbp

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #18 on: 12/10/2011 03:26 pm »
Yeah, that's not a surprise. They said back in September that would be the case if they didn't selected for M2, and it's become the tradition now that last time's runner-up becomes this time's frontrunner. Still, it's far from given.

Offline Alpha_Centauri

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Re: ESA's M-class Cosmic Vision candidates
« Reply #19 on: 12/10/2011 06:48 pm »
It was decided they'd be allowed to compete again, not that they would.  I half had in my mind the non-selection of Plato was a nod to NASA's similar TESS mission. This will mean there are two exoplanet missions in the lineup for M3, It will be especially telling if neither gets selected again as exoplanet science has had a rough time on proposals either side of the pond as of late. Marcopolo is another former selection candidate so it won't be easy.

Interesting the launch date for M3 mentioned in the newsletter is 2024, two years later than previously mentioned.  Could be just the requirement for Plato but surprising it would take so long considering all the work on the mission that's already been done.
« Last Edit: 12/10/2011 06:54 pm by Alpha_Centauri »

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