The ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium
Organization and responsabilities
The Consortium
Responsabilities
Core Team
The ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium
The ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium (AMC) is an international partnership of scientists, engineers, research institutions, and industrial partners working together to develop and operate the ARRAKIHS mission.The consortium brings together expertise from across Europe, with core partners from Spain, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, and Portugal. This multidisciplinary collaboration combines scientific excellence, technological innovation, and engineering expertise to achieve the mission’s ambitious scientific goals.
A key component of the consortium is its network of industrial partners, led by Satlantis (Spain), the prime contractor responsible for the mission instrument. These companies contribute critical capabilities in spacecraft and instrument development, integration, and operations.
In addition to its core members, the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium collaborates with research institutes and scientific teams around the world, including partners in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Denmark, the United States, Thailand, and Taiwan. These collaborations strengthen the mission’s scientific reach and foster a broad international community working toward a common objective: advancing our understanding of the faint structures that reveal how galaxies form and evolve.
The consortium is organized around three main areas of activity: Instrumentation (INS), Science (SCI) and Instrument Operations and Science Data Center (IOSDC). These three pillars form the foundation of the ARRAKIHS mission. Within each area, activities are organized into dedicated working groups, each with clearly defined objectives and responsibilities.
The working groups focus on specific scientific, technical, and operational tasks that are critical to the mission. This structured approach ensures that all aspects of ARRAKIHS are systematically addressed, promoting effective coordination across the consortium and supporting the successful delivery of the mission’s objectives.
Responsibilities and Organisation
The ARRAKIHS mission is a collaboration between two main entities: the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium (AMC) and the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA is primarily responsible for the launch vehicle, the spacecraft platform, and the ground segment, including the ground stations, the Mission Operations Centre (MOC), and the Science Operations Centre (SOC). ESA also contributes key payload elements, such as the detector, front-end electronics, and thermal shield. The AMC, funded by the participating Member States, is primarily responsible for the mission’s three main areas of activity: Science (SCI), Instrumentation (INS), and the Instrument Operations and Science Data Center (IOSDC).
Working Structure
Within each area of the mission, activities are organized into complementary components:
- Management Teams. Management Teams, responsible for the overall strategic oversight of the mission, ensuring alignment between scientific objectives, technical development, and programmatic constraints, and supporting decision-making at the highest level.
- Working Groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and developing expertise in topics relevant to the mission’s scientific objectives. Participation is limited to AMC members.
- The Project Office, which coordinates activities and provides the resources and support needed to achieve the mission’s goals.
- Transversal Working Groups, which bring together experts from both the AMC and ESA to address topics requiring close coordination between the two organizations.
This structure promotes effective collaboration and ensures alignment between scientific, technical, and operational activities across the mission.
Each sector and its associated components work in close coordination to ensure the effective implementation of the ARRAKIHS mission, drawing on the expertise of both the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium and the European Space Agency.
The ARRAKIHS Core Team
The Core Team is the highest-level governance body of the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium. Composed of representatives from all participating member states, it provides strategic leadership and oversees the major decisions that shape the mission.
Its responsibilities include defining strategic priorities, guiding consortium policy, supporting high-level coordination among partners, and ensuring alignment with the mission’s scientific and programmatic objectives.
By bringing together representatives from across the consortium, the Core Team provides a forum for collective decision-making and helps maintain a shared vision for the mission. This collaborative approach supports transparency, accountability, and effective coordination throughout the development and execution of ARRAKIHS.
