Space Mission to Study Faintest Universe Regions Using Smartphone Camera Technology

The European Space Agency (ESA) has taken a significant step in cosmic exploration by officially adopting ARRAKIHS, a scientific mission designed to observe the faintest regions surrounding galaxies. Scheduled for launch in 2030, the mission aims to unlock secrets of how galaxies form and evolve.

ARRAKIHS, an acronym for "Analysis of the interstellar medium around galaxies with an imaging instrument," will be ESA's second FAST-class (F2) scientific mission. Its primary objective is to provide an unprecedented observational window into the universe's low surface brightness areas, regions that have remained largely unexplored. These diffuse stellar halos surrounding galaxies like the Milky Way contain crucial historical data about their evolution, including imprints of dark matter, galactic mergers, and other cosmic processes.

The mission is a collaborative effort between ESA and the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium (AMC). Led by Professor Rafael Guzmán from the Institute of Physics of Cantabria (IFCA) in Spain, the consortium unites over 250 scientists and engineers from seven ESA member states: Austria, Belgium, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland. Additional support comes from institutions and companies in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United States, Taiwan, and Thailand.

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After four years of effort and collaboration to develop and perfect the mission, it is incredibly exciting to see ARRAKIHS officially adopted by ESA and moving towards its next phase.

Dr. Denis Erkal, the UK coordinator for the mission, expressed excitement about ARRAKIHS's official adoption, stating, "This mission will give us access to some of the faintest structures ever observed around nearby galaxies." A particularly innovative aspect of ARRAKIHS is its main visible detector, which is expected to utilize CMOS technology, the same technology found in smartphone cameras. This would mark a first for an ESA astronomy mission and represents a significant technological advancement for future space endeavors.

The detector, manufactured by the British company Teledyne e2v, is currently undergoing rigorous testing at University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory. Researchers are simulating space conditions in a vacuum chamber to ensure the highest possible precision for the mission's observations.

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This mission will give us access to some of the faintest structures ever observed around nearby galaxies.