mindblowingscience:

Getting a better handle on exoplanet diversity and evolution seems to be a high priority for the European Space Agency (ESA).

ESA has selected the Atmospheric Remotesensing Infrared Exoplanet Largesurvey (ARIEL) project as its next medium-class space mission, with a launch targeted for 2028.

If all goes according to plan, ARIEL will be the third ESA exoplanet mission to lift off in a 10-year span. ARIEL will study the atmospheres of hundreds of exoplanets, looking for a link between the composition and chemistry of the alien worlds and those of their host stars, ESA officials said.

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European Space Agency Picks Exoplanet-Studying Spacecraft for 2028 Launch