Produced by: Tarun Mishra
The European Space Agency (ESA) is addressing a critical problem affecting observations made by the Euclid telescope in space, caused by a layer of water ice thinner than a DNA strand.
Water ice buildup is a common challenge for spacecraft operating outside Earth's orbit in the extreme cold of space, potentially hindering observations of the Universe.
If left unresolved, the ice layer could significantly impact the telescope's ability to investigate the nature of the dark Universe, leading to major observational issues.
The Euclid team is testing a newly designed procedure to de-ice the mission's optics, aiming to keep the telescope's optical system as ice-free as possible throughout its operational life in orbit.
Despite successful deployment in orbit, a gradual decrease in the amount of light measured from stars by the Euclid telescope's visible instrument (VIS) prompted investigation into the ice layer issue.
To address the ice buildup, a heating strategy has been devised to gradually warm the spacecraft, starting with low-risk optical parts, with plans for further heating if successful.
While de-icing efforts are underway to safeguard Euclid's performance, careful implementation of the new process is crucial to ensure the success of the mission in space exploration.