Following the recommendations from the Polish Space Agency and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, head of the Space Research Center Paweł Knapkiewicz was honored to be part of the Working Group on Payloads for the L4 (Large Class Planetary Mission) ESA, which focuses on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
In 2021, ESA endorsed the “Voyage 2050” strategy, which sets the course for research and exploration in space. One of the scientific themes within this plan is the “Moons of the Giant Planets.”
The mission specifically targets the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, with a special emphasis on Enceladus.
The Kick-Off meeting occurred on March 26-27, 2025, and I had the privilege of beginning my work with the L4 PWG team, comprised of 14 experts from ESA member countries.
The working group’s objective is to pinpoint crucial scientific questions (driving questions) and identify the technologies that will provide answers to these inquiries.
The image features a model of Enceladus, showcasing a visualization of the “tiger stripes” where the geysers are located, with the Eiffel Tower and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame included for scale.