ARRAKIHS: The Future Satellite Hunting Dark Matter in 2030

The European Space Agency has approved the ARRAKIHS mission, set to launch in 2030, which aims to observe galaxies like the Milky Way to better understand dark matter. Dark matter haloes, invisible bubbles of dark matter that affect how galaxies rotate, will be the focus of the mission. ARRAKIHS will scan the outer rims of galaxies, examining dwarf galaxies within the dark matter haloes, and compare observations to computational models. The mission is part of ESA's "fast" mission program, with a low price tag of less than 175 million euros.