Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Euclid scientific satellite to study dark energy and dark matter to better understand the origin of the accelerated expansion of the Universe marks an important milestone

01/07/2022

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Integration activities completed for a soon shipment from Turin to Cannes facilities at Thales Alenia Space Turin, 1 July 2022 - Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced that all the integration activities for the Euclid satellite have been completed at the Turin plant and Euclid will soon be heading to the Thales Alenia Space plant in Cannes, where it will carry out environmental tests, prior to the launch campaign. Euclid is a technological gem that will play a leading role in the challenging scientific missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) with the contribution of many national space agencies, including the French and Italian Space Agencies (CNES and ASI). The mission is designed to explore dark energy and the mysteries of dark matter.

Thales Alenia Space

Euclid satellite is for the first time in its launch configuration equipped with all the on-board subsystems and the scientific instruments VIS (Visible Instrument) and NISP (Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer) being individually integrated and tested. In addition the telescope, previously integrated at the Airbus Defense & Space plant in Toulouse, has been installed on the service module as well as the Solar Panel and the Antenna .

Thales Alenia Space in Italy is the prime contractor for the Euclid mission satellite and is also responsible for its service module, as well as leading the industrial team of more than 120 European companies.

Thales Alenia Space

How did the Universe come into existence and why is it expanding at an accelerated speed, rather than decelerating due to the gravitational attraction of all the matter it contains? This is one of the most important questions in modern cosmology and Euclid, by mapping the structure of the Universe on a large scale over 10 billion light years, will reveal the history of its expansion and growth of cosmic structures over the last three quarters of its history.

I would like to emphasise the excellent team work carried out over the last few years by both the project team and the entire industrial consortium for the ESA Euclid mission, said Walter Cugno, Vice-President of Exploration and Science at Thales Alenia Space, a very synergic and punctual work that confirms Thales Alenia Spaces ability to lead the development of highly challenging scientific missions. Contributions from Thales Alenia Space in Spain, Belgium and France, enabled to reach this important programme milestone, which will be now completed by environmental tests carried out in Cannes then followed by the launch campaign of this truly challenging mission.

Thales Alenia Space/Consuelo Pecchenino

Communicating at 1.5 million kilometres distance

Euclid will map the 3D distribution of up to two billion galaxies and associated dark matter during a six-year mission, covering most of the observable sky outside our Milky Way. The complete survey consists of 150 thousand high - definition images with associated colour and spectral information, resulting in close to a petabyte of compressed data to be downlinked. This huge amount of data will be transmitted by the satellite from its orbit around the L2 Sun-Earth Lagrangian point at a distance of 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth, using its K-band (26 GHz) radiofrequency data transmission system to the ESAs stations located in Cebreros, Spain, and Malarg e, Argentina, equipped with 35 meters parabolic antennas. Euclid also incorporates an X-band system to control and monitor the spacecraft and measure its distance to Earth.

Euclid industrial contributions

Among the main subcontractors, Airbus Defense & Space in Toulouse, France, is responsible for the Payload Module, comprising the telescope and optical bench housing the sensors of the 2 VIS and NISP instruments.

These instruments have been developed by an international consortium led by the IAP astrophysics institute in Paris, in which no fewer than 10 French research laboratories are involved (attached to the national scientific research centre CNRS and CEA, the French atomic energy and alternative energies commission), supported by CNES.

Thanks to the cold gas micropropulsion built by Leonardo, ESA will be able to control the orientation of the probe in space with corrections in observation direction. Information regarding the telescopes line of sight will also come from a Leonardo sensor: specifically developed for the Euclid mission, the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) is a highly accurate star sensor, mounted directly onto the telescope, with the aim of ensuring absolute alignment between the axis of the telescope and the reference stars. Furthermore, Leonardo supplies the photovoltaic panels, which will provide power for all the probes systems.

The Euclid K-band deployable and steerable high gain antenna draws on Thales Alenia Space in Italys unique expertise in this domain in exploration missions to the Solar System, like Cassini-Huygens (Saturn), BepiColombo (Mercury) and ExoMars (Mars).

Thales Alenia Space in Italy has also provided the X-band Transponder, while the X-band and K-band Travelling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTA) have been developed by Thales Alenia Space in Belgium.

Thales Alenia Space in Spain provided the satellite telecommunication system, given its strong heritage in data transmission systems for all types of space missions and orbits.

ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE

Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and posi
LINK: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press_release/euclid-sc...
See more stories from thales

Europe Stories

09/11/2025

Dalet Unveils Agentic AI Media Workflows at IBC2025

Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

15/09/2025

aespa and Spotify Invite Fans to Unlock Their Inner Rich Man' With an Immersive MY VAULT Experience

Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...

15/09/2025

Spotify's Free Experience Is Even Better-Here's How to Make the Most of It

Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...

15/09/2025

Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes (BSCCB) successfully expands production capacity by 50% in Germany and Italy to meet rising demand

After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...

15/09/2025

SES SCORE Surpasses 600,000 of Transmission Hours, Delivering 900 Hours of Major Sports Content Daily

Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...

15/09/2025

New study reveals overwhelming support for a more sustainable future

-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...

13/09/2025

SKY Perfect Modernizes Playout-to-Delivery with Harmonic

Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...

12/09/2025

Spotify's The Drop Weekly' Brings You the Week in New Releases, Straight From Our Editors

For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...

12/09/2025

Agama and Consult Red announce RDK Accelerator integration

Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...

12/09/2025

Granville opens up one last time for U&GOLD in Open All Hours: Inside Out

Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026 Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...

12/09/2025

Bob Geldof to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sky Arts Awards 2025

Friday 12 September 2025 The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday Sky today ...

12/09/2025

Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom Beltpack

Wuppertal September 12, 2025 Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...

12/09/2025

Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interface

Wuppertal September 12, 2025 Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...

12/09/2025

What Is CORE+ Technologyand How Does It Elevate Church Sound?

CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need. Read the full artic...

12/09/2025

Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Mary Robinson and Conor Murray amongst guests on Late Late Show season opener

The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...

12/09/2025

Another jam-packed weekend of live, free-to-air Sport across RT

The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...

12/09/2025

Katie Hannon explores the shelves of Ireland's National Archives in new series

The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player. Katie Hanno...

11/09/2025

RADAR's 1,000-Artist Milestone: Rachel Chinouriri, Zimmer90, and More Celebrate With Spotify in Berlin

RADAR, Spotify's program for emerging talent, recently hit a major milestone...

11/09/2025

Smarter Video Analytics and Easier Operations with Agama 11

Link ping, Sweden, September 11, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability & analytics for service quality and customer experience, announced today the la...

11/09/2025

SES Space & Defense Awarded Sustainment Tactical Network Contract to Support U.S. Army

Under the USD 89.6 Million award, SES Space & Defense will provide global commer...

11/09/2025

Telekom Srbija Expands and Extends Partnership with SES

Leading Balkan DTH provider adds capacity to consolidate its m:Sat TV platform at 23.5 degrees East and serve more customers across the region Luxembourg, 11 S...

11/09/2025

UKTV's free streaming service U launches on Sky Q in the UK

UKTV's free streaming service U launches on Sky Q Free streaming service U has launched on Sky Q in the UK, UKTV and Sky confirm today, expanding the footp...

11/09/2025

Capturing Music in the Chaos of a Train Station

From the discreet 2061 lavaliers to 4099 and 4011 mics, the setup delivered clean, natural sound in one of the most challenging broadcast environments. Read th...

11/09/2025

Tiny but Mighty: A Review of the DPA 2061 Lavalier Mic

From rugged build quality to natural, detailed sound, the verdict is clear: big performance can come in a very small package. Read the full review here!...

11/09/2025

Tonight on Prime Time: Family of Liam Farrell seeking answers six years after his death

Tonight on Prime Time RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm Tonight RT Prime Time...

11/09/2025

RT Statement: 2026 Eurovision Song Contest

RT Statement: 2026 Eurovision Song Contest At the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in July, a number of EBU members raised concerns ...

10/09/2025

Lossless Listening Arrives on Spotify Premium With a Richer, More Detailed Listening Experience

Lossless on Spotify Premium is here. Lossless audio has been one of the most a...

10/09/2025

The Television Will Be Revolutionised

The Television Will Be Revolutionised Sep 10, 2025 Written by Sunit Kotecha, Director of Delivery and Operations, YouView 2025 marks a century since the f...

10/09/2025

First of Spains F110 frigates get future-ready with Rohde & Schwarz communications systems

First of Spains F110 frigates get future-ready with Rohde & Schwarz communicatio...

10/09/2025

Midco Taps Harmonic to Fuel Next-Generation Broadband Services

Harmonic's cOS Platform Supports DOCSIS and Fiber, Enabling Midco to Deliver Reliable Multi-Gigabit Connectivity to Subscribers SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 10,...

10/09/2025

Join RT at The Ploughing 2025

RT brings three days of live radio, live entertainment, live news, live weather, personal appearances, and more Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, The Oliver ...

09/09/2025

RADAR's Global Impact: 1,000 Artists, Billions of Streams, and a World of Discovery

Since 2020, Spotify's RADAR program has been a launchpad for emerging talent...

09/09/2025

5 Years and 1,000 Artists Later: How Spotify RADAR Supports Emerging Talent on the Path to Global Stardom

In 2020, Spotify launched RADAR with a clear mission: to identify, nurture, and ...

09/09/2025

Spotify and TikTok Launch Big on BookTok' Pilot Hub for Audiobook Fans

If you're on BookTok, you know the drill. You scroll, you tap, and suddenly your To Be Read list is overflowing with trending must-reads. Not unlike Spoti...

09/09/2025

TED2025 Relies on Clear-Com and NETGEAR to Power Production Communications

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

09/09/2025

OSN Unlocks New Era of Targeted Video Streaming Monetization with Harmonic

Harmonic's VOS360 Ad SaaS Enables Personalized Ad Delivery and Seamless Integration with the Ad Tech Ecosystem SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 9, 2025 - Harmonic ...

09/09/2025

Clear Sound for Worship and Livestreams at St. Luke's

St. Luke's Episcopal Church in New Jersey needed audio that truly connects and they found the answer. Read the full case study here!...

09/09/2025

On the Subject of Sound: Kalle Hvidt Nielsen on Immersive Audio

From AI-driven sound design to adaptable systems and uncompromising audio quality, the discussion highlights how innovation is shaping the future of performance...

09/09/2025

Mic Size Doesn't Limit Sound: DPA at NAB Show 2025

The conversation covers DPA's natural, uncolored sound, how to choose the right mic for any application and the company's latest innovations including C...

09/09/2025

From CORE to CORE+: Advancing Miniature Mic Technology

From the origins of CORE to the latest CORE+ upgrade, the article explores how DPA minimizes distortion, expands dynamic range and ensures clarity at every SPL ...

09/09/2025

Dolby Revolutionizes Entertainment on Four Wheels: 30 Car Brands Embrace Immersive Audio Experiences

September 9 2025, 07:22 (PDT) Dolby Revolutionizes Entertainment on Four Wheels...

09/09/2025

Autumn Schedule on RT Raidi na Gaeltachta

The Autumn Schedule has begun on RT Raidi na Gaeltachta, with a feast of music, entertainment, news and current affairs programmes as well as an interesting s...

08/09/2025

20 new apprentices start vocational training at SGL Carbon in Germany and Austria

The company continues to focus on its own training programs. Recently, 20 new ap...

08/09/2025

Unlock Smarter Subtitle Workflows with Accurate.Video LTA + Cantemo

How an MVP-first approach helps you move faster, stay flexible, and deliver smarter. Too often, media technology projects aim to solve everything at once ma...

08/09/2025

Fox Corporation Announces Resolution of Murdoch Family Trust Matter

Fox Corporation Announces Resolution of Murdoch Family Trust Matter New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA - September 8, 2025 - Fox Corporation ( FOX or the Comp...

08/09/2025

Fox Corporation Announces Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock

Fox Corporation Announces Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA - September 8, 2025 - Fox Corporation ( FOX or the Co...

08/09/2025

Fox Corporation Announces Pricing of Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock

Fox Corporation Announces Pricing of Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA, September 8, 2025 Fox Corporation ( FOX ...

08/09/2025

PantoneLIVE Adds New Color Libraries to Meet Growing Demand for Two-Piece Aluminum Beverage Can Packaging

PantoneLIVE Adds New Color Libraries to Meet Growing Demand for Two-Piece Alumin...