Euclid Space Telescope Faces Ice Trouble in Outer Space
The Euclid telescope, on a mission deep into outer space, has encountered a hiccup in its operations. Since November of last year, the team has noticed a decrease in the telescope’s vision quality, which was later traced back to a layer of ice forming on the mirror. In order to rectify this issue and ensure the telescope’s functionality in studying dark matter, the team has initiated a heating process to remove the thin ice.
The Euclid Space Telescope, launched in July to map the structure of dark matter in the universe and understand dark energy, has the task of observing 2 billion galaxies over a six-year mission. However, during preparations for the mission, the team noticed a gradual decrease in the luminosities measured by the telescope’s instruments while observing stars.
Further investigation revealed that water molecules absorbed during the telescope’s assembly on Earth had released in space, leading to ice formation on the optical surface. Despite attempts to degas the telescope after launch, some water molecules remained, resulting in the formation of a thin ice layer on the mirror surface.
Given the telescope’s sensitive nature and its critical mission to study dark matter and dark energy, the team is employing heating methods to remove the obstructive layer of ice. The European Space Agency Mission Control Center team is sending commands to activate onboard heaters, raising the temperature of the affected components to combat the ice formation.
While the success of this de-icing operation remains to be seen, the team is determined to restore the telescope’s functionality for its crucial mission. Any potential risks associated with the heating process are outweighed by the importance of continuing the search for dark matter in the universe.
The Euclid Space Telescope’s ability to overcome this technical challenge and maintain its operational capabilities will be crucial for its upcoming observations and contribute significantly to our understanding of the universe’s mysterious dark matter and dark energy.