Today, the preliminary spacecraft design of ESA’s future exoplanet mission Ariel got approval from the ESA review board and passed the Preliminary Design Review with flying colours.

This concludes the important preliminary design phase B2 of the mission that lasted 19 months. During this phase, the design of the spacecraft has been refined, including the requirements for the interfaces, in particular with the payload elements. Ariel’s development plans have also been finalised.

Ariel’s scientific payload, comprising a cryogenic telescope hosting two instruments, Ariel medium-resolution InfraRed Spectrometer (AIRS) and Fine Guidance System (FGS), a cryocooler and several electronic boxes, already passed this crucial review in May 2023. Ariel’s prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space Toulouse can now begin manufacturing the first spacecraft prototypes: the structural model (SM) and the avionics verification model (AVM).

“We are delighted that we have achieved a significant milestone in spacecraft design, marking a solid foundation to proceed with detailed development across all subsystems and with the manufacturing phase,” says Jean-Christophe Salvignol, Ariel’s project manager. “The prospect of witnessing the hardware is truly exciting! I'm especially enthusiastic about the manufacturing and assembly of the structural model, as its structure will closely resemble the final product set to take flight.”

Ariel’s structural model will be subjected to tough environmental test conditions to verify that the spacecraft's subsystems can cope with the conditions expected during launch and in space. The avionics verification model will serve to demonstrate the functionality and the performance of the electronic and software systems used in the spacecraft, including control, communication, navigation, and data processing systems. When these two models work properly, the mission will go through the Critical Design Review and the actual flight model (the one that will go into space) will be built.