The National Astronomical Research Institute (Narit) has joined the European Space Agency's (ESA) Analysis of Resolved Remnants of Accreted Galaxies as a Key Instrument for Halo Surveys (Arrakihs) mission, scheduled for launch in late 2030.
The mission, aimed at studying the formation and evolution of galaxies and providing new insights into the mysterious nature of dark matter, has been selected by the ESA as its second Fast-class scientific mission.
The mission's space telescope will conduct a detailed survey of at least 80 Milky Way-like galaxies over three to five years to observe stellar streams and tidal tails.
These observations are expected to improve astronomers' understanding of how galaxies evolve, which will in turn allow them to study dark matter more effectively.
Speaking on Monday, Krittapas Chanchaiworawit, a Narit researcher and the project's principal coordinator, said he has been involved in developing the mission's core simulation software since 2018.
The simulations are conducted using Narit's high-performance computing system, dubbed "Chalawan".
The Arrakihs mission received unanimous approval from all 23 ESA member states during the Science Programme Committee meeting held at Instituto Astrofisico de Canarias in Tenerife, Spain, last week.
The collaboration marks the first time a Thai research institution has participated in both the scientific and technical teams of a space mission officially approved by the ESA.
