ESA Science & Technology - ARIEL
Area introduction
Ariel, the Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey, was selected as the fourth medium-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme. It will study what exoplanets are made of, how they formed and how they evolve, by surveying a diverse sample of about 1000 extrasolar planets, simultaneously in visible and infrared wavelengths. It is the first mission dedicated to measuring the chemical composition and thermal structures of hundreds of transiting exoplanets, enabling planetary science far beyond the boundaries of the Solar System.
News
News
Ariel moves from blueprint to reality
12 November 2020
ESA's exoplanet mission Ariel, scheduled for launch in 2029, has moved from study to implementation phase, following which an industrial contractor will be selected to build the spacecraft.
ESA's next science mission to focus on nature of exoplanets
20 March 2018The nature of planets orbiting stars in other systems will be the focus for ESA's fourth medium-class science mission, to be launched in mid 2028.
