Universe-mapping Euclid Satellite Arrives in US
upstart writes:
It's been a decade since it was announced, but the Euclid mission to build a 3D map of the universe is finally getting close to launch with the spacecraft landing in Florida ahead of an expected July liftoff.
The Euclid mission will send the eponymous probe to Earth-Sun Lagrange point 2 - the same spot as NASA's James Webb Telescope, where it will observe more than a third of the sky and detect galaxies as distant as 10 billion light years away.
[...] The ultimate goal of the European Space Agency mission - which has enjoyed important contributions from NASA - is to build a 3D map of the large-scale structure of the universe to help scientists better understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy, which make up more than 95 percent of the mass and energy of the universe. Scientists with the European Space Agency also hope Euclid will help them better understand how the expansion of the universe has changed over time, and whether we have a complete understanding of gravity.
"No test of the [general theory of relativity] has been made with high precision over the large distances and times that Euclid will cover. This way, Euclid will reveal if general relativity breaks down at the largest scales. If it does, physicists will need to go back to the drawing board," ESA said.
[...] If everything in the clean room goes to plan, Euclid will then be mounted atop its Falcon 9 ride to begin the final leg of its journey. If the James Webb's trip to L2 is any indicator, Euclid should reach its destination in around 30 days.
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