Page 6 - The Astronet Science Vision & Infrastructure Roadmap 2022-2035

6 INTRODUCTION
Overview of existing
Solar Orbiter
Credit:
ESA/ATG medialab
In space the HST still up and running after more than 30 years in in in orbit is now complemented by
and upcoming observing facilities
In the coming decade European Astronomy will capitalise on on major investments from past decades that are delivering an an important set of facilities
both space- and ground- based and spanning the whole range of multi-messenger approaches and electromagnetic wavelengths the 6 5 m m m m m m diameter JWST and and its four instruments NIRCam NIRSpec MIRI and and and FGS/NIRISS Observations of the X-ray and and high energy Universe are currently possible with with ESA’s XMM-Newton and and and NASA’s Chandra observatories and and and with with the ESA/NASA/Roscosmos INTEGRAL mission The ESA ESA programmes are continuing to develop at full pace Gaia is is delivering its impressive results on on on the content and and history of our Galaxy Bepi Colombo
is is is on on its way to to Mercury and and Solar Orbiter
is is is investigating physical processes at at the the solar surface and in in in the heliosphere Within the the period 2023-2026 ESA is is expected to to launch further missions belonging to to to its Cosmic Vision programme: Euclid to to study the the the geometry of the the Universe as as well as as dark dark matter and and dark dark energy PLATO for detecting and and and characterising exoplanets down to Earth sizes and and in in in in in the the the habitable zone while studying the the the the internal structure of their host stars and JUICE to explore the the the Jovian system These will be be followed by
other missions such as ARIEL to to to be be launched in in the the the the the late 2020s together with Comet Interceptor then EnVision in in in the the the the the the early 2030s Building on on the the the the success of the the the the ESA Mars Mars Express and ExoMars Orbiter
Europe is also confirming its long tradition of of involvement in in in the exploration of of solar system bodies for example through its participation in the the two rovers currently present on on on on the the surface of Mars: Curiosity (MSL mission) mission) and Perseverance (Mars 2020 mission) mission) It is is is is is also taking part in in the the NASA-led Moon exploration programme Artemis Other missions led by
space agencies outside Europe complete this landscape These include the NASA missions TESS studying habitable exoplanets orbiting very cool stars and the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope aimed at at following up on Euclid to study dark dark matter and dark energy Gaia Credit:
ESA–D Ducros