ESA Science & Technology - STE-QUEST
Statistics
The Space-Time Explorer and QUantum Equivalence Principle Space Test (STE-QUEST) was a candidate mission for the M3 launch opportunity in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme. The mission was designed to answer a range of questions in fundamental physics by performing precision measurements with high accuracy atomic sensors. In particular, STE-QUEST would test Einstein's Equivalence Principle, which underpins the theory of General Relativity; explore the boundaries with the quantum world; and search for new fundamental constituents and interactions in the Universe. In February 2014 the PLATO mission was selected for the M3 launch opportunity.
News
News
ESA selects planet-hunting PLATO mission
19 February 2014A space-based observatory to search for planets orbiting alien stars has been selected today as ESA's third medium-class science mission. It is planned for launch by 2024.
Announcements
Announcements
Cosmic Vision M3 candidate missions presentation event
21 October 2013The five M3-candidate missions (EChO, LOFT, MarcoPolo-R, PLATO, STE-QUEST) were presented to the scientific community on 21 January 2014, in Paris, France. The presentations given at this event are available to download now.
2013 STE-QUEST Workshop
1 February 2013The 2013 STE-QUEST workshop will be held at ESTEC, The Netherlands, from 22-23 May 2013. The scope of the workshop is to present and discuss with the scientific community the STE-QUEST science case and the progress achieved in the frame of the mission and instruments studies.
Announcement of Opportunity for the provision of scientific payload including SGS elements for the M3 mission candidates
24 September 2012Proposals are solicited for the scientific payload, including Science Ground Segment (SGS) elements, of the M3 candidate missions EChO, LOFT, MarcoPolo-R, and STE-QUEST. The deadline for submission of proposals is 30 November 2012, 12:00 CET.
Latest Publications
Latest Publications
STE-QUEST Assessment Study Report (Yellow Book)
16 December 2013Reference: ESA/SRE(2013)6. This is the Assessment Study Report (also known as the Yellow Book) for STE-QUEST - a candidate mission for the M3 launch opportunity in Cosmic Vision.
STE-QUEST Preliminary Requirements Review Technical Report
18 December 2013Reference: ESA-STEQ-RP-0001, Issue 1, Revision 1. STE-QUEST, a Space-Time Explorer and Quantum Equivalence Principle Space Test, is one of five candidate missions for the M3 launch opportunity. A Preliminary Requirements Review (PRR) of all candidate missions has been performed to review their status in support of the M3 selection. This document...
STE-QUEST Science Requirements Document
22 April 2013Reference: FPM-SA-Dc-00001; Issue 1, Revision 5. This document presents the scientific objectives of the ESA mission STE-QUEST and provides the top level science requirements.
STE-QUEST Mission Requirements Document
18 September 2012Reference: SRE-PA/2011.074/RQ/MG; Issue 2, Revision 3. This document aims at providing a complete and comprehensive list of all high level mission requirements (including spacecraft and payload, launcher, ground segment and operations) necessary to achieve the science goals detailed in STE-QUEST Science Requirements Document (FPM-SA-Dc-00001).
STE-QUEST Payload Definition Document
22 June 2012Reference: SRE-PA/2011-075/TN/PW; Issue 1, Revision 1. This document describes the Payload of STE-QUEST, a mission in the Fundamental Physics domain conceived to test to high accuracy the different aspects of the Einstein Equivalence Principle. This document derives directly from the STE-QUEST Science Requirements Document and STE-QUEST Mission...
STE-QUEST CDF study - External Final Presentation
30 June 2011This is a summary of the study performed at ESA's Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) into the M-class mission Space-Time Explorer and QUantum Equivalence Principle Space Test (STE-QUEST).
STE-QUEST Mission Proposal
3 December 2010This STE-QUEST mission proposal was submitted in 2010 to ESA in response to the Call for medium-size (M-class) missions in the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan with a launch opportunity in the period 2020-22.