Dark Energy Urgently Wanted
Why is the universe flying apart faster and faster? Or: what is the real deal with dark energy? So far, astrophysicists have no idea. But at least they have a plan to solve the mystery.
Euclid is currently looking at Europe, but the rest of the universe will follow soon. "We are in the last phase of the project and are waiting for the individual instruments to be delivered to us," says René Laureijs from the European Space Agency ESA. The individual instruments are mainly the cameras with which the Euclid space telescope is supposed to look out into space. They come from various European institutes, where researchers are still testing them. They will soon be sending the devices to Toulouse in France. There, engineers assemble them into the actual telescope, the payload. It then continues to Lièges in Belgium, where this payload will be tested. Then to Turin, Italy to assemble the satellite. And back to France, Cannes, where a very last test of the overall construct is on the agenda. "In that respect, it's a truly European project," says Laureijs. "Sort of a European tour."
