European Space Agency

As the European Space Agency prepares to begin operations of its next-generation Vega-C and Ariane 6 launch systems complemented by the reusable Space Rider orbital transportation system, work is underway to define the future of European space transportation capabilities for the coming decade and beyond. View the full article

Video: 00:02:03 ESA’s Council at Ministerial level will take place in November 2022, a crucial milestone as Europe sets out its ambitions and plans for space activities in the coming years and decades. View the full article

Press Release N° 30–2022 The next steps in exploring and using space for the benefit of European citizens were this week on the agenda at ESA’s Council meeting in ESA/ESTEC, the Netherlands on 14 and 15 June. The possibility of the first-ever European astronaut to set foot on the Moon, a telecommunication satellite for lunar exploration and a mission to return precious rock samples from Mars were all discussed. View the full article

Image: Hera asteroid mission’s first step View the full article

The media information session following the 308th ESA Council will be streamed on 15 June from 12:40 to 13:15 CEST at esawebtv.esa.int. Join us to hear more about the cooperation between ESA and NASA. View the full article

How does ESA enable the European space industry to prosper in the global market? People attending this week’s VivaTech show in Paris – which will showcase how innovation and technology can build a more sustainable and inclusive society – will discover how. View the full article

Entrepreneurs, fledgling firms and established space companies are to receive a boost with the launch of the European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce. View the full article

Video: 00:54:56 Watch the replay of the press event "New data from our Milky Way". Gaia experts and scientists present the findings and answer questions from journalists. Gaia is ESA’s mission to create the most accurate and complete multi-dimensional map of the Milky Way. Read more Access the related broadcast quality video material View the full article

Video: 00:05:00 Since its launch in 2013 ESA’s Gaia observatory has been mapping our galaxy from Lagrange point 2, creating the most accurate and complete multi-dimensional map of the Milky Way. By now two full sets of data have been released, the first set in 2016 and a second one in 2018. These data releases contained stellar positions, distances, motions across the sky, and colour information, among others. Now on 13 June 2022 a third and new full data set will be released. This data release will contain even more and improved information about almost 2 billion stars, Solar System objects and extragalactic sources. It also includes radial velocities for 33 million stars, a five-time increase compared to data release 2. Another novelty in this data set is the largest catalogue yet of binary stars in the Milky Way, which is crucial to understand stellar evolution. This video includes interviews with : Frédéric Arenou, CNRS Research Engineer & Gaia Collaboration Scientist, Observatoire de Paris – PSL (in English & French) Paola Sartoretti, CNRS Research Engineer & Gaia Collaboration Scientist, Observatoire de Paris – PSL- (English) Read more Access the related broadcast quality video material View the full article

Today, ESA’s Gaia mission releases its new treasure trove of data about our home galaxy. Astronomers describe strange ‘starquakes’, stellar DNA, asymmetric motions and other fascinating insights in this most detailed Milky Way survey to date. View the full article

ESA Impact June Council edition Great images and videos of two ESA astronauts on the ISS, preparations for the Artemis mission to the Moon, and more View the full article

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Week in images: 06-10 June 2022 Discover our week through the lens View the full article

Join European Space Agency and Gaia mission representatives on Monday 13 June for a preview of the third major data release. This world-class treasure trove is set to reveal new insights into our Solar System, our Milky Way galaxy, and our wider cosmic neighbourhood. View the full article

This radar image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, shows us the only city-island-nation – Singapore – and one of the busiest ports in the world. View the full article

Image: The face of Galileo View the full article

A team of scientists have used satellite data to detect methane plumes from an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the first time that individual methane plumes from offshore platforms are mapped from space. View the full article

A space-enabled system to help clear congested skies while reducing carbon emissions is going global, following a deal signed today between satellite communications provider Inmarsat and ESA. View the full article

ESA’s Comet Interceptor mission to visit a pristine comet or other interstellar object just starting its journey into the inner Solar System has been ‘adopted’ this week; the study phase is complete and, following selection of the spacecraft prime contractor, work will soon begin to build the mission. View the full article

This scarred and colourful (by martian standards!) landscape shows part of Aonia Terra, an upland region in the southern highlands of Mars. The image was taken by ESA’s Mars Express on 25 April 2022. View the full article

Engineers have connected Japan and Europe via space-enabled next-generation 5G telecommunication links. It is the first time that such an intercontinental connection has been established between Europe and Japan. View the full article

Celebrated each year on 5 June, World Environment Day focuses on awareness of environmental challenges and action to protect planet Earth. Take a look at five ESA-supported projects that use satellite data and services to address specific environmental problems. View the full article

Part of Puglia, or Apulia, a region in southern Italy, is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. View the full article

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Image: The fourth European Service Module structure to power astronauts on NASA's Orion spacecraft to the Moon is now complete. The structure is seen here at a Thales Alenia Space site in Turin, Italy. The module is now on its way to Airbus’ clean rooms in Bremen, Germany where engineers will complete the integration and carry out final tests. As the powerhouse for the Orion spacecraft, the European Service Module provides propulsion and the consumables astronauts need to stay alive. Much like the load-bearing frame of a car, this structure forms the basis for all further assembly of the spacecraft, including 11 km of wiring, 33 engines, four tanks to hold over 8000 litres of fuel, water and air for astronauts and the seven-metre ‘x-wing’ solar arrays that provide enough electricity to power two households. The fourth European Service Module is part of the Artemis IV mission that will begin delivering elements of the Gateway, the next human outpost located in lunar orbit. This includes the International Habitat, or I-Hab, module, built by Thales Alenia on behalf of ESA. It is a pressurised module that will provide living quarters for astronauts visiting the Gateway and include multiple docking ports for berthing vehicles as well as well other modules. What’s up with the first three European Service Modules? The first European Service Module is connected with the Orion spacecraft and awaiting launch for Artemis I later this year. The second European Service Module has been formally transferred to NASA and is completing integration at the Operations and Checkout building at Kennedy Space Center. Meanwhile, the third European Service Module continues to be built up in Bremen. With four European Service Modules already delivered and in production, ESA is ensuring NASA’s Artemis programme continues to develop a sustainable presence on and around the Moon in international partnership. The countdown to the Moon starts in Europe with 16 companies in ten countries supplying the components that make up humankind’s next generation spacecraft for exploration. Follow the latest on Orion developments on the blog. View the full article