ESA's Dilemma: Mars, Earth, or Deep Space for Next Mission?

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced the final three proposals for a future medium-sized (M-class) mission, which include M-Matisse, Plasma Observatory, and Theseus. M-Matisse aims to study the effects of solar winds on Mars, while Plasma Observatory will focus on studying charged particles around Earth. Theseus will investigate short-lived blasts of high-energy light outside the solar system. The selected mission will join current M-class ESA projects and is expected to launch in the 2030s. Additionally, the ESA endorsed a reworked large-class (L-class) mission called NewAthena, which will observe the universe in X-rays.