The launch of Euclid, the hunter of the dark side of the universe, is scheduled for next July from Cape Canaveral and with a SpaceX Falcon 9.
It is the satellite that the European Space Agency (ESA) was preparing to launch in the summer of 2022, but which was blocked following the war in Ukraine and the consequent breakdown of relations with Russia by both the ESA and Arianespace, the company that manages launches from the European base of Kourou (French Guiana).
The role of Italy is important, which contributes to the mission through the Italian Space Agency (ASI) with the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), universities and companies.
“The launch was initially scheduled for summer 2022 with a Soyuz and we will be able to launch in summer 2023 with the Falcon 9. Furthermore, with all the technological complications, the costs of the mission have kept costs under control,” said Barbara Negri, responsible for the ASI of human flight and scientific experimentation.
The total cost (including satellite, launch and ground segment) currently estimated is around 700 million euros, against the 600 million initially foreseen.
