From biomarkers in exoplanet atmospheres to Universe expansion: the combined power of ANDES and the Extremely Large Telescope

ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph (ANDES) is the high-resolution optical and near-infrared spectrograph for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). Designed to operate at a spectral resolution R∼100,000 over a wavelength range of 0.4–1.8 μm (goal: 0.35–2.4 μm), it will provide transformative capabilities in fields spanning from exoplanet atmospheres to the chemical enrichment of the early Universe, and from fundamental physics to the first generation of stars. ANDES combines the immense collecting area of the ELT with fiber-fed, modular spectrographs optimized for extreme stability, wide spectral coverage, and high precision. In this paper, aimed to a broad audience of scientists from all fields, we present a comprehensive overview of the ANDES project, outlining its science goals, instrument architecture, consortium structure, and development roadmap.