UCL to lead European mission to study new planets

UCL is leading a multi-million pound European mission to study newly discovered planets after it was selected today as the next European Space Agency science mission. ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey), due for launch in mid-2028, will answer fundamental questions about how planetary systems form and evolve. During a 4-year mission, ARIEL will observe 1000 planets orbiting distant stars and make the first large-scale survey of the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres. ESA's Science Programme Committee announced the selection of ARIEL from three candidate missions on 20th March 2018. The ARIEL mission has been developed by a consortium of more than 60 institutes from 15 ESA member state countries, including UK, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Hungary, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, with an additional contribution from NASA in the USA currently under study. UK institutions have provided the leadership and planning for ARIEL, including UCL, STFC RAL Space, STFC UK ATC, Cardiff University and the University of Oxford. UCL's contribution to the mission is funded by the UK Space Agency.