What is the purpose of the Euclid space telescope?
European scientists hope mission will solve some of the deepest mysteries of the universe.
It’s been a decade in the making. The Euclid telescope was originally meant to be lifted into space by a Russian Soyuz rocket.
But the European Space Agency handed the launch operation to SpaceX after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Backed by a budget of $1.5bn, Euclid seeks to unveil the secrets of dark matter and dark energy, which drive the accelerating expansion of the universe.
But what precisely is it searching for?
Presenter: Cyril Vanier
Guests:
Pierre Ferruit – Euclid mission manager at the European Space Agency
Christopher Conselice – Professor of Extragalactic Astronomy at the University of Manchester
Paul Taylor – Senior fellow at the Friends of Europe think-tank