Around 150 people took part in the international meeting held at the Magdalena Palace, the venue where the mission first began to take shape.
From May 18 to 20, the Magdalena Palace hosted the fifth consortium meeting of ARRAKIHS. Nearly 150 researchers, technical staff, institutional representatives, and industrial partners from different countries attended this international gathering, organized at a decisive moment for the future of this European Space Agency (ESA) mission, led by the Institute of Physics of Cantabria (IFCA, CSIC–UC).
The meeting held special symbolic significance for the consortium, as it was also at the Magdalena Palace that the first ARRAKIHS working meetings took place three and a half years ago. The return to Santander therefore marked the closing of a key stage in the project’s development.
The event was attended by representatives from some of the main institutions involved in ARRAKIHS, including Patricio Vielva, Director of IFCA; José María Martell, Vice President for Scientific and Technical Research at CSIC; Conchi López, Rector of the University of Cantabria; Rafael Guzmán, Mission Lead; and Alicia Miró, representing the Spanish Space Agency (AEE).
The strong institutional presence reflected the crucial moment currently facing the project, following the completion of the main milestones of its definition phase.
End of the Preliminary Phase
During the three-day meeting, the scientific and technological teams reviewed the current status of ARRAKIHS and the progress achieved in recent months. The consortium has recently completed the delivery of the Red Book to ESA, the document outlining the mission’s scientific case, objectives, and the technical foundations supporting the project. In addition, the latest preliminary design of the scientific instrument, developed by the company Satlantis, was presented, completing one of the most important stages ahead of the mission’s final evaluation.
“It is an opportunity to feel proud of what we have achieved, but also to prepare ourselves for the amount of work that still lies ahead,” said R. Guzmán.
ESA’s Upcoming Decision
The next major step for ARRAKIHS will take place on June 10 and 11, when ESA’s Science Programme Committee will decide whether the project moves from its current preliminary phase to full adoption within the European Space Agency’s scientific programme.
