--- title: "Upcoming Space Telescope Will Study the Atmospheres of Distant Exoplanets" description: "The European Space Agency just signed off on two years worth of  feasibility studies, clearing an exoplanet-studying space telescope for launch in 2029." date: "2020-11-13" modified: "2020-11-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/upcoming-space-telescope-will-study-the-atmospheres-of-distant-exoplanets" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Exoplanets" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" tags: - "ESA" - "exoplanet" - "the digest" --- # Upcoming Space Telescope Will Study the Atmospheres of Distant Exoplanets ![The European Space Agency just signed off on two years worth of  feasibility studies, clearing an exoplanet-studying space telescope for launch in 2029.]() *\Image: ESA\* ## ARIEL The European Space Agency just formally signed off on two years' worth of feasibility studies that will hopefully clear the way for an exoplanet-studying space telescope for launch in 2029, the [*BBC* reports](). The telescope, the called Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey (ARIEL) is designed to study what the atmospheres of exoplanets are made of, and how they are formed and evolve, according to [a statement](). It will survey the visible and infrared wavelengths of some 1,000 exoplanets. ## Silver Bullet ESA scientists will now move on to the building phase, constructing different parts meant to test the space telescope's design. The biggest challenge will be the construction of a 3.6 foot primary mirror, which will be built out of aluminum and then coated in silver**,** as the *BBC* reports. Such a mirror, according to the broadcaster, will have to be able to work even when temperatures dip below -230 degrees Celsius (-382 Fahrenheit). "It's the first time they've built quite such a large telescope out of aluminium," Rachel Drummond, ARIEL national project manager at RAL Space in the UK, told the *BBC*. "The reason you choose mainly one metal is so it all shrinks together, as it goes cold, so the whole thing stays in focus, even when it's getting smaller." It's not the ESA's first exoplanet-studying telescope mission. The Cheops telescope [launched last year](), which was designed to study distant planets and learn how they formed. **READ MORE:** [UK will lead European exoplanet mission]() \[*BBC*\] **More on exoplanets:** *[If the Readings Are Right, There’s Something Very Strange About This Exoplanet]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()