EUROPLANET
Europlanet aims to bring together research institutes and companies active in planetary science from Europe and beyond. Planetary science covers not only our solar system, but also planetary systems around other stars. It is an interdisciplinary field of research that includes astronomy and geophysics, robotic and human exploration of other planets, and the search for extraterrestrial life.
Since 2005, Europlanet has provided the following opportunities for the European planetary science community:
- Sharing ideas and providing personal travel to other laboratories
- Sharing research tools, data and facilities
- Identify key research goals for the future
- Involving stakeholders, policy makers and European Citizens in planetary research
The TA2 Distributed Planetary Laboratory Facility (DPLF) programme provides access to 24 facilities in 13 research centres in Europe and 11 facilities in South Korea, allowing simulation or characterisation of planetary conditions and materials, including:
- Instrument design and performance testing
- Investigation of physical and geological processes in specific planetary environments
- Evaluation of biogeochemical processes to test the evolution and/or sustainability of life
- Detailed mineralogical, (bio)geochemical and isotopic characterisation of (extraterrestrial) sample materials
Isotoptech Zrt. has joined the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure Programme in 2020 with 3 laboratories that can be used within the programme as TA2 DPLF:
- Isotoptech Carbon-14 dating accelerator mass spectrometry laboratory (AMS14C)
- Isotoptech Stable/Clumped Isotopes Laboratory (ISIL)
- Isotoptech Noble Gas Isotope facility (INGIL)
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.