Euclid telescope embarks on epic voyage to probe mysteries of the dark universe

The successful launch marked the start of Euclid's epic voyage to space, travelling 1.5 million kilometres in the opposite direction of the Sun. Euclid's final destination is Lagrange point L2.

Euclid is expected to reach Lagrange point L2 in four weeks, after which it will undergo two months of testing, scientific instrument calibration, and preparation for routine observations. Following that, Euclid will begin its mission of surveying one-third of the sky.

6-year mission to demystify the dark Universe

The Euclid mission will spend six years studying the secrets of the dark cosmos, gathering data that will throw light on the evolution of galaxies, and the expansion of the universe.

The aim of the mission is to transmit data back to earth via ESA’s Estrack network of ground stations across the globe, giving precious details on the early Universe and its evolution. This data will be studied by the Euclid Consortium – a group of more than 2000 scientists from more than 300 institutes across Europe, the US, Canada and Japan.

'Endeavour to answer compelling questions'

Following the successful launch of Euclid, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher stated that this marks the beginning of an exciting scientific endeavour aimed at unravelling one of the world's greatest mysteries.

“The successful launch of Euclid marks the beginning of a new scientific endeavour to help us answer one of the most compelling questions of modern science,” said Aschbacher.

"...The quest to answer fundamental questions about our cosmos is what makes us human. And, often, it is what drives the progress of science and the development of powerful, far-reaching, new technologies. ESA is committed to expanding Europe’s ambitions and successes in space for future generations,” he added.

“The Euclid mission is the result of the passion and expertise of those who contributed to designing and building this sophisticated space telescope, the competence of our flight operations team, and the inquiring spirit of the science community,” said Giuseppe Racca, ESA’s Euclid Project Manager.

What the Mission hopes to investigate

According to NASA, dark energy accounts for around 68 percent of the cosmos, while dark matter accounts for 27 percent. Euclid's main goal is to learn more about the universe's mysterious 95 percent.

If all goes as planned, Euclid will create a great map of the large-scale structure of the Universe across space and time by observing billions of galaxies. The space mission will study 10 billion light years of cosmic history to understand why our universe’s expansion is accelerating.

It will also provide astrophysicists with the data they need to better comprehend two long-standing mysteries: dark matter and dark energy, as well as locate hints to the Universe's expansion.

According to the ESA, the mysterious 'dark' components are thought to be the cause of the Universe's accelerating expansion, but their nature and origin are unknown.

Euclid will help in solving these puzzles

- The structure and history of the cosmic web
- The nature of dark matter
- The expansion of the Universe changed over time
- The nature of dark energy
- Understanding of gravity

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2000 scientists, 13 European countries

Euclid is a European mission built and maintained by the European Space Agency, with contributions from NASA's Roman Space Telescope. NASA is helping the mission by providing crucial hardware for the spacecraft's instruments, financing the science team, and creating a Euclid data processing centre in the United States.

The Euclid Consortium – consisting of more than 2000 scientists from 300 institutes in 13 European countries, the US, Canada and Japan – provided the scientific instruments and scientific data analysis.