Two modules of dark matter spacecraft Euclid are joined

Next year, Europe's dark matter investigation spacecraft, Euclid, will be ready for launch. The joining of the service modules and the payload is a milestone.

The VISible imager, the Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer, and the reflecting telescope are all in the payloads module. The service module contains computers which control instruments, as well as other systems.

It was really exciting to see the spacecraft coming together and get one step closer to seeing the mission become a reality. "I almost feel like we have united two family members," said Hans Rozemeijer in a statement.

The joining process involved using a crane to lower the service module. At six points, it was attached. After the modules were joined mechanically, we plugged in the electrical connections. We checked that everything was working correctly. We covered the gaps between the two modules with thermal insulation to really seal up the space craft.

The two parts had to be joined with accuracy that was less than the width of a human hair. The process seems to have gone well, as check revealed no problems. The next task will be fitting the sun shield and solar panels, which will be done later this month.

There were concerns that the launch of Euclid would be affected by Russia suspending its launches from Europe's spaceport. According to the French-language site Ciel & Espace, Arianespace will use its Ariane 6 rocket to launch the spaceship. Next year is when the launch will take place.