COSMIC VISION 2015-2025 TECHNOLOGY PLAN Programme of Work 2008-2011 and related Procurement Plan SUMMARY The present document presents the currently proposed activities in the Basic Technology Programme (TRP), the Science Core Technology Programme (CTP), the General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) and suggested national initiatives supporting the implementation of the first slice of ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Plan. Page 2 Page 2 - Intentionally left blank Page 3 1. Background and Scope This document provides an update to the Cosmic Vision 1525 (CV1525) ESA Science Programme future missions technology preparation plan, first issued last year as ESA/IPC(2008)33, add1. This plan is submitted to the June 2009 SPC. The evolution of the CV1525 programme is taken into account, – essentially SPC recent decision to include Solar Orbiter as Medium (M) class mission and the outer planet Large (L) mission down-selection - the findings of the associated system study activities and the progress with the international coordination. The plan covers the period 2008-2011 for both the L/M missions under assessment and the future science mission themes. 2. Cosmic Vision Plan 2015-2025 2.1 Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan Evolution The Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan consists of a number of “Science Questions” to be addressed in the course of the 2015-2025 decade. The future space missions to be implemented to this purpose would result from competitive Announcements of Opportunity (AO hereafter) and following down selection processes. Three AOs were foreseen, defining the three “slices” of the plan. The down selection review and decision process is described in ESA/SPC(2009)3, rev.1. The AO for the first slice of the CV plan was issued in March 2007, and from the 50 proposals received, five M class (including one mission of opportunity) and three L class (including LISA) mission candidates were selected for assessment. In the course of the studies conducted in 2008, and of discussions held with international partners, it became evident that the implementation plan for the first slice of CV1525 had to be modified: • First, no L mission can be implemented in 2018, as originally foreseen; this is due to the availability of the international partners (whose participation is essential to implement any L mission) and to the mission’s technology readiness status. Both factors require that the L missions are moved to the second slice of CV1525, with the implementation of the first L mission not before 2020. • Second, most of the M mission candidates selected for an Assessment study will require an ESA Cost at Completion (CaC) well in excess of the 300 M€ originally assumed (and likely of order 400-450 M€). • Third, following the difficulties encountered on Bepi Colombo, the SPC decided in November 2008 to not cancel Solar Orbiter, but rather to include Solar Orbiter as a M mission candidate for the 2017-2018 M launch slots of the CV plan. Therefore, there are now six M class missions that are competing for 2017-2018 launches, including Solar Orbiter. At least two M missions will be implemented under the following Programme constraints (e.c. 2008): the overall Cost at Completion for the first CV slice is 900 MEuros and the cost cap per mission is less than 450 MEuros. Page 4 The original plan based on two rounds of competitive down-selections is maintained, the first to select the mission concepts to enter the Definition phase and the second to select the ones to enter Implementation phase. This approach allows competition among different mission candidates until the end of the Definition phase, as recommended by the Science Programme Review Team report (SPRT, ESA/C(2007)13) . The corresponding process timeline is shown in Figure 1. L-class missions Laplace Tandem L1 launch Lisa IXO M-class missions Euclid Plato M1 launch Spica Marco-Polo M2 launch Cross-Scale Solar Orbiter 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2017 2018 2019 2020 Figure 1. Cosmic Vision timeline summary. The CV1525 mission candidates are summarised in Table 2.1/1 below. The three L- Class missions are currently running their assessment phase and are competing for a launch in 2020 (second CV slice). All L missions are foreseen with international collaboration (mainly with NASA and JAXA) and with a cost at completion cap for ESA of 650 MEuros (e.c. 2008) Table 2.1/1: Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Mission Candidates Fields M Class L Class Mission of Opportunity Space Plasmas Jupiter system (Cross-Scale) (Laplace) Solar System NEO sample return (Marco Polo) Solar studies (Solar Orbiter) Dark Energy X-Ray astronomy IR astronomy (Euclid) (IXO) (SPICA) Astrophysics Exoplanets / Gravitational waves Asteroseismology (LISA) (Plato) Page 5 2.2- Cosmic Vision Technology Plan update The technology plan updates with respect to its last version (ESA/IPC(2008)33, add1, June 2008) reflect the major evolutions of the Cosmic Vision plan: 1- SPC decision to include Solar Orbiter in the M-class mission candidates for a launch in 2017-2018. The Solar Orbiter technology activities have been revisited and are now part of this plan, as are those of the other M missions. 2- Down-selection of the mission to the Jupiter system as the future Outer Planet mission (L-mission candidate for a launch in 2020, in collaboration with NASA and potentially JAXA)) 3- Evolution of the X-ray observatory mission, now called IXO and foreseen in collaboration with NASA and JAXA (L-mission candidate for a launch in 2020) 4- A few changes in some activities related to future science mission themes that could be implemented in the second or third CV slice. Regarding the other five M-class missions, no changes have been implemented yet, awaiting the completion of the assessment system studies. It is foreseen to revisit their technology plan (as done for Solar Orbiter) by end 2009. However, the corresponding technology activities will be placed in 2010-2011 only for the missions that will have been down-selected by SPC for entering the Definition Phase (A/B1) For all missions, only the activities to be placed in 2009 are submitted for approval. Those foreseen to be placed in 2010-2011 are provided for information. 2.3 M-Class candidate Solar Orbiter At its June 2008 meeting (ESA/C(2008)70) Council was informed by the Director General that it would be proposed to consider Solar Orbiter as one of the potential missions for implementation around 2017. Up to then, Solar Orbiter was in the plan with a 300 M€ cost cap and a planned launch date of 2015. In the course of 2008 it had however become clear that neither of these conditions could be attained. Following the impact on the Science Program’s budget of the mass problems experienced by BepiColombo and the attendant redesign, an alternative approach was necessary to allow Solar Orbiter to remain in the planning. In November 2008 SPC therefore decided (ESA/SPC(2008)25) to make Solar Orbiter a candidate in the competition for the 2017 M launch opportunity of the CV plan, with the same budgetary constraints as the other M mission candidates. The Solar Orbiter mission will be subject to the same review process as the M mission candidates selected in 2007. All M mission candidates will undergo a review of their design and technological status, their financial viability and their scientific performance. This information will be made available to the Advisory Structure who will have to perform a scientific ranking of the viable candidates. On the basis of this ranking, the Executive will propose to SPC a number of M mission concepts to enter Definition phase. Page 6 2.4 L-Class candidate Laplace In February 2009 a down-selection took place between the two L-class missions Laplace (mission to the Jupiter system) and Tandem (mission to the Saturn system). Both missions had been proposed as collaborations with NASA. An intensive joint ESA/NASA study was made in 2008 and was concluded by a joint decision to retain the mission to the Jupiter system as candidate for the L1 launch slot in 2020. The activities related to the former Tandem are removed from the plan. As a potential future additional element to the Laplace mission, penetrators will be studied, and the related activity will be implemented as a special measure for geo- return balance. A phased activity is therefore placed in this technology plan, addressing these novel surface deployment devices. Further to the context of a Jupiter mission like Laplace, such technology has potential in other planetary missions, including Mars. 2.5 L-Class candidate IXO Following discussions among ESA, NASA and JAXA, in July 2008 the XEUS mission study (originally proposed as an ESA-JAXA collaboration) and the Constellation-X study (a candidate mission in NASA) joined forces to purse the definition of an International X-ray Observatory (IXO). IXO is a single deployable spacecraft, contrary to the XEUS concept. Accordingly, the formation flying technology developments will no longer be required. The change in focal length from about 35 to 50 meters for XEUS, to 20 to 25 meters for IXO requires the adjustment of one activity in scope and budget. An Instrument Technology Development Workshop for IXO was held at ESTEC on 30-31 March 2009, involving ESA’s delegate members, IXO instrument representatives and ESA, NASA & JAXA project representatives. This workshop identified the critical items in the payload area, established a development strategy and identified the possible funding sources. The result is reflected in the updated technology development activities described in the annexes of this document. 2.6 Technology Plan Implementation Principle The preparation of mission adoption, which includes approval of payload and mission CaC, is conditioned on a successful outcome of the assessment and definition study phases.