• The Euclid ESA mission, launched in July 2023, will explore dark energy and dark matter to better understand the origin of the accelerated expansion of the Universe
• Thales Alenia Space is the industrial prime contractor for the European Space Agency

Darmstadt, November 7 2023 - The European Space Agency revealed today the first images from the scientific satellite Euclid, transmitted from its orbit around the L2 Sun-Earth Lagrangian point at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), key members of the Euclid Science Consortium and leading European Space Agency experts gathered at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, to view and discuss these first images heralding the full potential of Euclid, a mission that will open new pages of modern cosmology.

© ESA

“I am fascinated by what I see, the first pictures captured by Euclid are as marvelous as the satellite itself. We are just beginning a fantastic journey that will lead to a better knowkedge of our Universe, enabling science and research to understand better its composition, who we are and where we come from.” said Massimo Comparini Deputy CEO, ESVP Observation Exploration Navigation at Thales Alenia Space.

© Thales Alenia Space

“I am very proud that Thales Alenia Space, every single member of our team and our partners behind this unique mission has contributed to develop a technological jewel, proving, once more, the capability of the company to sustain and empower Europe’s ambition for Science in space. Euclid Industrial Consortium, led by Thales Alenia Space with more than 80 partners and suppliers from 20 countries in Europe, is proud to be alongside the European Space Agency and the Scientific Consortium, which, with their findings, will help humankind to better understand some of the greatest mysteries of the Universe”.