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Result of wide European discussion on ESA's space
science programme for the 2015-2025
decade Published in Fall 2005 successor of
Horizons plans and their corner stones and
medium missions
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Cosmic vision
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Programme as decided by ESA's SPC in February 2006
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Cosmic vision call for ideas (rather
than missions) 1) What are the conditions for
planet formation and the emergence of
life? 2) How does the solar system work? 3)
What are the fundamental physical laws of the
Universe? 4) How did the Universe originate and
what is it made of?
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1) What are the conditions for planet
formation and the emergence of life?
Europa seen by Galileo
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2) How does the solar system work?
Magnetic sun
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3) What are the fundamental physical laws
of the Universe?
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4) How did the Universe originate and what
is it made of?
Lockman Hole
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Missions Observatory class missions Far IR,
X-rays, Gamma rays imaging IR nulling
interferometry, precision astrometry Cosmic
rays Very high energy detection Mu wave
background polarisation measurement Gravitational
physics experiments Grav. Wave (post LISA),
grav.probe Quantum physics matter wave
interferometry and others Solar physics Polar
orbiter Solar system probes NEO sample return,
Mars sample return, Europa
lander.
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Questions, problems and the future Nothing is
cheap (easy missions have been done) For many
(all?) missions, there needs be a large
technological development programme. Technologies
are associated with a given mission. Community
is rich in ideas, know how and will to
progress There is no money ESA's science
programme is starved. gt Only very few of these
missions (1, 2?) will happen. Communities cannot
be kept alive with the present launch rate. For
about one launch per year, a budget of about
700Meuros per year is needed.
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Curent plan Gaia (astrometry), BeppiColombo
underway launches in 2012, 2013 Solar orbiter
pushed on the horizon (2017) NASA will put -dark
energy mission
-Constellation X -LISA
(in 2017 in ESA's current plan) in competition
for a new start for one in 2010. Fate of
LISA????? ESA will put out a call for missions
this year (TBC at the SPC in May) include 1
smallish and 1 biggish mission (?) for launches
before and after 2020 (TBC). Successive
selections ending in 2008. There is a strong
on-going work for a large X-ray mission with CH
involvement (PSI and ISDC). Idem in Europe for a
nulling interferometer
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There are a number of small (niche) missions in
discussion, mainly as national programmes.
Spektrum X-G (LobsterROSITA Rus, D, UK,
ESA) NEW (NL) SYMBOL- X (F) Eclairs (with a new
name) (FChina) HXMT (China) MIRAX
(Brasil) Whether a curse or a benediction
remains to be seen. CH is trying to put together
with NL and S a small mission programme Organisati
on, etc unknown yet.
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Conclusions? Present brilliant Future of
physical sciences research in space is very bleak
in the US Short term prospects are good (Planck,
Herschel, Gaia) in Europe, long term future is
probably dark also in Europe, but everything is
not lost yet. I hope that this is not a
conclusion, but a step.
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Cosmic vision