The European Space Agency's Euclid spacecraft successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, July 1. Its mission is to gain insight into why the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, and how dark matter and dark energy are playing a role in the expansion. "[Euclid] is igniting a new golden age of survey astronomy that will help us understand our universe's history and structure in ways that were not possible before," said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Euclid will utilize its instruments to create a map of the cosmos covering nearly a third of the sky. It is thought the mission may also help researchers ascertain if our current understanding of gravity should be revised.