ARIEL
Sign in to savethumb|305x305px|ESA's exoplanet missions Ariel (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey) is a planned space telescope and the fourth medium-class mission of the European Space Agency's Cosmic Vision programme. The mission is aimed at observing at least 1,000 known exoplanets using the transit method, studying and characterising the planets' chemical composition and thermal structures. Compared to the James Webb Space Telescope, Ariel will be a much smaller telescope with more observing time available for planet characterisation. Ariel was expected to be launched in 2029 aboa
Key facts
- Spaceflight.name
- Ariel
- Spaceflight.names_list
- Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey
- Spaceflight.image
- Ariel key visual ESA499933.jpg
- Spaceflight.image_size
- 300px
- Spaceflight.mission_type
- Space telescope
- Spaceflight.operator
- European Space Agency
- Spaceflight.mission_duration
- 4 years (planned)
- Spaceflight.launch_date
- 2031 (planned)
- Spaceflight.launch_rocket
- Ariane 62
- Spaceflight.launch_site
- Guiana Space Centre,Kourou, ELA-4
- Spaceflight.launch_contractor
- Arianespace
- Spaceflight.orbit_reference
- Sun–Earth L2 orbit
- Spaceflight.instrument_type
- Cassegrain reflector
- Spaceflight.telescope_diameter
- 1.1 × 0.7 m
- Spaceflight.telescope_focal_length
- f/13.4
- Spaceflight.telescope_area
- 0.64 m2
- Spaceflight.telescope_wavelength
- visible and near-infrared
- Spaceflight.instruments
- Telescope assembly (TA)Ariel infrared spectrometer (AIRS)Fine Guidance System (FGS)
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Background
- Objective
- Spacecraft
- Telescope
- Timeline
- Development
- Construction and testing
- Launch and trajectory
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
thumb|305x305px|ESA's exoplanet missions Ariel (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey) is a planned space telescope and the fourth medium-class mission of the European Space Agency's Cosmic Vision programme. The mission is aimed at observing at least 1,000 known exoplanets using the transit method, studying and characterising the planets' chemical composition and thermal structures. Compared to the James Webb Space Telescope, Ariel will be a much smaller telescope with more observing time available for planet characterisation. Ariel was expected to be launched in 2029 aboard an Arianespace Ariane 6 together with the Comet Interceptor into the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2. However as of January 2026, it is likely to be delayed until 2031.
== Background == The Ariel mission is being developed by a consortium of various institutions from eleven member states of the European Space Agency (ESA), and international contributors from four countries. The project is led by principal investigator Giovanna Tinetti of the University College London, who had previously led the unsuccessful Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EcHO) proposal for the M3 Cosmic Vision launch slot.; alongside RAL Space, STFC for the PLM engineering consortium leadership.