ESA Adopts Arrakihs Mission for 2030 Launch to Survey 80 Galaxy Haloes
Updated
Updated · European Space Agency · Jun 10
ESA Adopts Arrakihs Mission for 2030 Launch to Survey 80 Galaxy Haloes
1 articles · Updated · European Space Agency · Jun 10
Summary
Late-2030 launch planning is now locked in after ESA’s Science Programme Committee adopted Arrakihs, moving the mission from completed study phase into full development, construction and testing.
Feasibility cleared the way for adoption: ESA said the mission can detect extremely faint galaxy haloes and stellar streams that preserve evidence of how galaxies formed, merged and evolved.
At least 80 Milky Way-mass galaxies are due to be surveyed, giving scientists a statistical sample to test galaxy-formation models, probe dark matter’s role and judge how unusual the Milky Way is.
Four cameras arranged as two binocular telescope pairs will observe from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared, with Spain leading the instrument consortium alongside Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.
Arrakihs is ESA’s second fast-track F-class mission, designed to go from its November 2022 selection to launch in under 10 years.
How will Arrakihs' advanced cameras see 'ghost galaxies' that have remained invisible to all previous telescopes?
By mapping our galaxy's violent past, what will Arrakihs reveal about the Milky Way's unique cosmic destiny?
If Arrakihs finds fewer galactic fossils than predicted, could our theories on dark matter be fundamentally wrong?
ARRAKIHS: ESA’s Second F-Class Mission to Map 80 Milky Way-like Galaxies and Unveil the Ultra-Low Surface Brightness Universe
Overview
On June 10, 2026, the European Space Agency (ESA) officially adopted the ARRAKIHS mission, marking its transition from the study phase to full implementation. This decision designates ARRAKIHS as ESA's second F-class mission and sets the stage for the construction and rigorous testing of its spacecraft and scientific instruments. With a planned launch by the end of 2030 or early 2030s, ARRAKIHS aims to explore the faint outskirts of galaxies, helping scientists uncover how galaxies like our Milky Way formed and evolved. This mission represents a major step forward in understanding the universe’s origins and structure.