Organization

Team and responsabilities

The Consortium

Responsabilities

Core Team

The ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium

 The ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium (AMC) is the group of scientists and engineers from research institutes and companies representing different European countries (Spain, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Portugal and United Kingdom).  

The ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium includes  technological companies across Europe, led by the Spanish company Satlantis, the prime contractor for the instrument.  Additionally, the consortium collaborates with research institutes from: the Netherlands, France, Denmark, the United States, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Members of the AMC and ESA Team members at the 3rd ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium meeting in Lund, Sweden, January 2024.

This consortium is fundamentally organized along three crucial lines of operation: Instrumentation, Science and Instrument Operation and Science Data Center (IOSDC). The responsible leads of these areas are in order Santiago Serrano (IEEC, Spain), Enrique Gaztañaga (University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom) and Polychronis Papaderos (University of Porto, Portugal), while the lead of the mission is Rafael Guzmán (IFCA, Spain).

These three core pillars serve as the backbone of the mission’s execution and are integral to its overall success. Within each of these key lines, the consortium further divides its efforts into discrete work packages, each with its own distinct set of objectives. These work packages are meticulously designed to focus on concrete aspects and critical tasks that are essential to the mission’s achievement. They serve as the building blocks of the mission’s implementation, ensuring that all aspects of the ARRAKIHS mission is systematically addressed and expertly executed. Through this structured approach, the consortium aims to achieve the highest levels of efficiency and effectiveness in both its scientific and technical pursuits, ultimately contributing to the success of this pioneering mission.

Responsabilities

The ARRAKIHS mission is a collaboration among two different entities, the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium (AMC) and the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA is mainly responsible for the Launch Vehicle, the Spacecraft platform, and the Ground Segment, which includes Ground stations, the Mission Operations Center (MOC), and the Science Operations Center (SOC). ESA also contributes key elements to the payload, such as the detector, front-end electronics and the thermal shield.

The AMC, funded by the Member States is mainly responsible for the three main areas commented above (Science, the Instrument and IOSDC).  At a lower level of organization, each sector within the ARRAKIHS mission—Science, Instrumentation, and IOSDC—is divided into three main areas. The first area consists of working groups dedicated to advancing knowledge on topics relevant to the ARRAKIHS mission’s science objectives. Participation is limited to ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium (AMC) members. The second area is the Project Office, which is responsible for coordinating efforts and providing the necessary resources to achieve the mission’s goals. And finally, the third area is the Joint Working Group, which brings together experts from both the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium and the European Space Agency (ESA) to work collaboratively on advancing the mission’s objectives.

High level ARRAKIHS mission organization chart of the two basic entities, ESA and ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium.

Each sector and its respective components work in a coordinated manner to ensure the successful execution of the ARRAKIHS mission, leveraging the combined expertise of both the ARRAKIHS Mission Consortium and the European Space Agency.

The ARRAKIHS Core Team

The main decision-making body in ARRAKIHS is the Core Team, which includes representatives from all member states and is responsible for making key strategic and political decisions related to the mission’s goals and execution. This diverse team ensures that a broad range of perspectives and expertise is considered, fostering international collaboration and effective decision-making.

The Core Team brings together experts and decision-makers from various countries to guide the mission’s direction. Their decisions cover everything from strategic planning and policy to political agreements, all crucial for the mission’s success.

This inclusive approach helps build consensus, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that the mission stays focused on its ambitious scientific and exploratory objectives while strengthening international cooperation in space exploration.

Figure 3. Composition of the ARRAKIHS Executive Team (AET) and the ARRAKIHS Core Team (ACT)

AMC Institutions

The AMC is a motivated group of scientists and engineers from research institutes and Universities around the world lead by Spain and Switzerland.

Status and Milestones

The success of the ARRAKIHS mission relies on a well defined intermediate milestones to achieve the a successful launch the mission in 2030.

The team

Here you can find the list of ARRAKIHS Consortium members and their institutions organised in the main sectors, management, science, instrument and ground segment.