The European scientific community has submitted proposals for 50 new scientific missions following a call for proposals issued in March by the European Space Agency (ESA), the agency announced July 6.

In October, ESA will select three medium-class missions — defined as those with costs to ESA not exceeding 300 million euros ($408.5 million) — and three large-class missions, with costs to ESA not exceeding 650 million euros ($885 million),  for feasibility studies that run through 2011.

ESA then will select a medium- and a large-class mission for implementation by ESA’s Science Program Committee, with launches of the spacecraft scheduled to take place in 2017 and 2018, respectively.