The ESA-VO Project

The Virtual Observatory is a world-wide initiative in astronomy which aims is to allow astronomers to perform new science by providing them with a "federation of astronomical archives and databases around the world, together with analysis tools and computational services, all linked into an integrated facility".

ESA-VO main goal is to have ESAC as the VO node for all European space based astronomy by:

• ensuring all ESAC astronomy archives are accessible through the VO framework.
• developing VO science applications (eg VOSpec to handle VO compatible spectra)
• developing VO tools (eg Registry, DALToolkit, DMMapper) allowing ESA and other data providers to publish their scientific data holdings through the VO.
• disseminating VO technology and science through organizing workshops, tutorials, use cases, ...
• doing science with the VO, as a natural link with ESAC scientists working on various missions, the goal is to enable them to perform new science with the VO.
• participating to other VO initiatives in Europe (EURO-VO) and worldwide (IVOA).
• building a computational GRID, linked to the EGEE that will allow ESAC to be not only a data centre but also a data processing centre.

ESA-VO is a active member of the EURO-VO project. ESA is co-funding the EURO-VO Facility Centre with ESO and is also taking part of the EURO-VO DCA (Data Centre Alliance) and EURO-VO AIDA (Astronomical Infrastructure for Data Access) EC funded projects.