Europlanet
Europlanet is a four-year project funded by the European Union , which aims to network the scientific infrastructure in the fields of planetology and solar system research within Europe. The set project goals include: promoting collaborations between scientists, exchanging the results on an open platform and supporting new space missions. Europlanet is to organize the exchange of national science projects on a European level.
history
The European Planetology Network (EuroPlaNet) was approved by the 6th EU Research Framework Program and received funding from 2005 to 2008 so that it can structure research in Europe. Initially, scientists from 50 European laboratories who were mainly involved in the Cassini-Huygens mission took part . During the four years, the circle expanded to include other space projects that led to Mars , Venus and the comets . EuroPlaNet aimed to unite the community of planetologists, to organize conferences (European Planetary Science Congress) and to make the scientific results available to the public. Another goal was to support young scientists.
In the 7th framework program of the EU, the project was extended and entered a second phase from January 2009, the so-called Europlanet Research Infrastructure (RI). This bundles the networking activities and develops its own programs. At the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) in Potsdam in September 2009, the new plans were presented to the scientific community. The first visits between the institutions began in 2010, which led to the establishment of working groups.
Objectives
Europlanet is to bring together the existing possibilities of planetologists in Europe, e.g. B. Laboratory use, institutes, space activities, publications or personnel. The scientists should have easier access to the different workplaces. Information, scientific data and software should also be available online.
Another feature of Europlanet is its division into "national nodes". The national activities in planetology offer the opportunity to define key objectives and to exchange new ideas as well as personnel. In this way, the professional needs of the laboratories and institutes should be better coordinated. This can also be carried out across Europe via a so-called TransNational Access.
In addition, the results and experiences are published so that both science, industry, space agencies and the public benefit from them.
Data
- Project duration: 48 months (January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2012)
- Total budget: 7.5 million euros (including 6 million euros from the EU)
- Number of contractual partners: 27 institutions
- Participating countries: 16, of which 13 are EU members