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Ariel

Overview

ESA’s mission Ariel (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey) will inspect the atmospheres of exoplanets, revealing the composition of their atmospheres and the presence of clouds, and monitor how weather conditions change over time. From rocky to gas-giant exoplanets, Ariel will deepen our understanding of these distant worlds.

RAL Space involvement

Project managing the Ariel Mission Consortium (AMC), which consists of 17 European countries, as well as contributions from NASA and CSA, and key engineering, production and testing capabilities.

Focus

Planetary science and exploration

Earliest Launch Date

2031

Partners

ESA, UCL, STFC UK ATC, Cardiff University, University of Oxford and over 60 institutes from 15 ESA member state countries.

Illustration of a satellite.

Artist's impression of the Ariel spacecraft in space. Credit: ESA / STFC RAL Space / UCL / UK Space Agency / ATG Medialab

Read the latest mission updates

Ariel undergoes the UK’s first space acoustic tests

The National Satellite Test Facility (NSTF) has hosted the UK’s first tests designed to simulate the intense acoustic environment of rocket launch.

Exoplanet mission Ariel passes review milestone

Ariel, the European Space Agency's (ESA) next-generation mission to observe the chemical make-up of distant extrasolar planets, has passed a major milestone after successfully completing its Payload Preliminary Design Review...

ESA formally adopts Ariel, the exoplanet explorer

The European Space Agency (ESA) have formally adopted Ariel, the first mission dedicated to study the nature, formation and evolution of exoplanets.

Decode Exoplanet Atmospheres Using AI: Ariel Data Challenge 2024 Awaits

Artificial Intelligence experts are being challenged to help tackle one of astronomy’s most complex and important data analysis problems.

Ariel space mission to study alien worlds passes crucial test milestone

The Ariel payload has cleared a major test milestone, paving the way for the mission that will uncover the secrets of over 1000 alien worlds.

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