10 June 2026 – ESA adopts ARRAKIHS mission to unveil the hidden history of galaxies
The Scientific Programme Committee of the European Space Agency (ESA) has approved the adoption of the “galactic archaeology” mission ARRAKIHS.
Expected to be launch-ready by late 2030, ARRAKIHS will capture the extremely faint light from nearby galaxy haloes, enabling scientists to reconstruct cosmic history and better understand how galaxies like our own form and evolve.
With its adoption, the mission has successfully completed its study phase, demonstrating technical and scientific feasibility. ESA’s decision also formally commits the agency to the implementation of the mission.
ARRAKIHS is the second ‘fast’ or F-class mission of ESA’s Cosmic Vision programmeand it is being carried out by a consortium of ESA Member States led by Spain, being the Spanish Institutions and entities CEFCA, IFCA, CSIC, UC, ICE, IEEC, IFAE, INTA, UCM, IDR / UPM, IAA, SATLANTIS, ISDEFE, LIDAX.
Key partners include Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden; . The mission is built around a strong European industrial and scientific collaboration framework.
The mission is scientifically led by Prof. Rafael Guzmán, Research Professor at the Instituto de Física de Cantabria (IFCA, CSIC-UC) and ARRAKIHS Mission Principal Investigator and Consortium Lead.
A historic milestone for European space exploration
The adoption of ARRAKIHS represents a historic milestone for the European space sector, formally placing this scientific mission at the centre of one of Europe’s most ambitious space exploration programmes.
ARRAKIHS also constitutes a landmark achievement for the Spanish space sector, as the first Science Programme mission of ESA led from Spain through the Spanish Space Agency.
ARRAKIHS, the first mission of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Science Program led by Spain through the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) and the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), confirmed today the start of its development phase ahead of its planned launch in 2030.
As of yesterday, ARRAKIHS officially becomes an F2 mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) Science Program, culminating a process that began with its selection in 2022. The decision marks a new milestone for the first ESA science mission led from Spain and reinforces our country’s position at the forefront of European space exploration.
“With ARRAKIHS, we are placing Spain at the forefront of European space exploration,” stated Diana Morant, Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities.
“It is a mission that generates knowledge, strengthens our business sector, attracts talent, and showcases our country’s capabilities internationally,” explained Minister Morant, who also stated that “the advances this mission will bring to understanding how galaxies form and the nature of dark matter will bear the Spanish stamp.”
ARRAKIHS is based on a unique optical concept consisting of two pairs of “binocular” telescopes – four cameras in total – designed to detect extremely faint astronomical signals with very low surface brightness. Each camera operates in a different wavelength range, covering near-ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light, enabling a complete multi-band view of faint galactic structures.
SATLANTIS’ role in ARRAKIHS
SATLANTIS leads the development of the scientific instrument for the ARRAKIHS mission as instrument’s industrial prime contractor. It is responsible for the coordination, architecture, integration, and validation of the optical instrument and the coordination of an international instrument team including industry and research centers.
On top of that, the adoption of ARRAKIHS represents a major strategic milestone for SATLANTIS in the field of space science. It consolidates the company’s capabilities within highly complex ESA programmes and reinforces its role in Europe’s scientific and technological ecosystem.
Beyond its industrial impact, the mission represents a significant step forward in technological maturity and in the execution of large-scale scientific space programmes.
SATLANTIS acts as industrial prime contractor for the ARRAKIHS scientific instrument. The company leads the development of the mission’s optical payload, including its overall architecture, coordination, integration, and validation.
SATLANTIS’ key responsibilities include the coordination of an international instrument consortium spanning industry and research centres, the development of advanced high-sensitivity optical technologies for space-based observation, a contribution to the detection and characterization of low surface brightness structures in galaxy haloes, an active involvement across Phases 0/A/B, supporting mission definition, technical consolidation, and preparation for Phase C/D.
Through this role, SATLANTIS strengthens its position as a leading European company in advanced space instrumentation for scientific missions.
“ARRAKIHS represents a key milestone for SATLANTIS and strengthens the company’s position in scientific space exploration. As the industrial prime contractor for the mission instrument, we are leading the development of the technological core of ARRAKIHS, a mission set to transform our ability to observe the universe with unprecedented sensitivity. Beyond its scientific ambition, ARRAKIHS is also a major technological and strategic stepping stone for SATLANTIS, positioning the company at the forefront of European space exploration. Participating in a scientific mission of this scale means contributing to something that transcends the industry itself: the advancement of knowledge for the benefit of the global community.” states Ms Eider Ocerin Martínez – Instrument Industrial Prime Project Manager @ ARRAKIHS mission and Space Program Director @ SATLANTIS
“A dream comes true after more than four years of work since the proposal was first conceived and prepared. With the adoption of the mission, ARRAKIHS becomes part of ESA’s prestigious Science Programme, with SATLANTIS serving as the mission’s main technological leader, working hand in hand with the scientific team. This is an extraordinary milestone, made possible by the dedication, perseverance, and enthusiasm of the entire consortium team, and in particular by a key team within SATLANTIS.” shares Dr. Santiago Serrano – ARRAKIHS Scientific & Technical Director at SATLANTIS & Instrument Coordinator
Main Press Releases on the adoption of the ARRAKIHS mission:
ESA – ESA adopts galactic archaeology mission Arrakihs
