European Space Agency

Video: 00:02:15 Tour the new launch complex for Ariane 6 at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. First, enter the launch vehicle assembly building which is 20 m tall, 112 m long, and 41 m wide, located a kilometre away from the launch zone. It is used for horizontal integration and preparation of the central core of Ariane 6 – its main stage and upper stage – before it is rolled out to the launch zone. The hydrogen and oxygen storage facilities connect to the launch pad via underground pipes as part of the launch support systems. The 8200 tonne 90 metre-high mobile gantry rolls on rails. Its platforms enable engineers to access the vehicle for integration of the boosters around the core stage and for mounting the fairing containing the payload on top of the upper stage. This steel mobile gantry protects Ariane 6 before launch and is rolled back prior to liftoff. At the entrance of the gantry is a mockup Ariane 6 P120C rocket booster. This is representative of one of the real boosters, having the same size and mass but filled with water instead of solid propellant and used in mechanical tests. Four lightning protection masts, and a water tower for the deluge system are also part of the launch pad. View the full article

Another year passes, and our muscles, bones, eyes and ears deteriorate as we age – even more so in space. Reactions in ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer’s body after barely two months on the International Space Station are giving European scientists clues on how to fight the downsides of growing old on Earth. View the full article

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope team has fully deployed the spacecraft’s sunshield in space, a key milestone in preparing it for science operations. View the full article

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope team has fully deployed the spacecraft’s sunshield in space, a key milestone in preparing it for science operations. View the full article

Video: 00:01:27 Experience an orbital badminton match on the International Space Station ISS in 360° as ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer challenges his crewmates and Japanese spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano. Together with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, the Japanese spaceflight participants joined the current Expedition 66 crew for a short-term stay of 12 days on the ISS. While their stay on the ISS focuses on scientific and operational activities, the astronauts on board the Space Station also enjoy recreational activities that provide an important balance for the crew and offer opportunities for intercultural exchange and team building. Matthias was launched to the International Space Station on Crew Dragon Endurance as part of Crew-3 at 02:03 GMT/03:03 CET Thursday 11 November 2021. His ESA mission on board is known as Cosmic Kiss and will see him live and work for approximately six months in orbit. Follow Matthias Access the other Cosmic Kiss 360º videos View the full article

Video: 00:03:04 This real-time video shows the separation of the James Webb Space Telescope from the Ariane 5 launch vehicle and the subsequent solar array deployment. Webb’s launch on an ESA-provided Ariane 5 rocket was performed by Arianespace on behalf of ESA from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, at 12:20:07 GMT (13:20:07 CET) on 25 December 2021. Webb separation from the Ariane 5 occurred at 12:47:14 GMT (13:47:14 CET) with solar array deployment starting 69 seconds later. Thanks to Ariane 5’s highly precise launch trajectory Webb’s solar array was able to deploy soon after separation from the Ariane 5, capturing sunlight to power the observatory. This video shows the view from Ariane 5’s upper stage, taken by a camera manufactured by Irish company Réaltra Space Systems Engineering. Webb is the next great space science observatory following Hubble, designed to answer outstanding questions about the Universe and to make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy. Webb will see farther into our origins: from the formation of stars and planets, to the birth of the first galaxies in the early Universe. Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Read more about this launch Access the related broadcast quality video material. View the full article

After a successful launch of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope on 25 December, and completion of two mid-course correction manoeuvres, the Webb team has analysed its initial trajectory and determined the observatory should have enough propellant to allow support of science operations in orbit for significantly more than a 10-year lifetime (the minimum baseline for the mission is five years). View the full article

From simulated moondust to an ultraflat floor, a 3D-printed human bone to a wall decoration that once flew on the Hubble Space Telescope, the new 99 Objects of ESA ESTEC website gives visitors a close-up view of intriguing, often surprising artefacts assembled together to tell the story of ESA’s technical heart. View the full article

Watch live: Webb telescope post-launch press briefing (starts 15:00 CET) View the full article

Video: 00:01:09 The James Webb Space Telescope lifted off on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, at 13:20 CET on 25 December on its exciting mission to unlock the secrets of the Universe. Read more View the full article

The James Webb Space Telescope lifted off on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, at 13:20 CET on 25 December on its exciting mission to unlock the secrets of the Universe. View the full article

The James Webb Space Telescope lifted off on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, at 13:20 CET on 25 December on its exciting mission to unlock the secrets of the Universe. View the full article

Video: 00:02:49 From one space flier to another, ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer shares a message of support for the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) launch, from ESA’s Columbus science laboratory on the International Space Station. Matthias is currently living and working in space for his first mission known as Cosmic Kiss. He describes themission of Webb as part of humankind’s biggest adventure, as we explore the cosmos to understand our place within it. Webb is the next great space science observatory following Hubble, designed to answer outstanding questions about the Universe and to make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy. It is an international partnership between the European Space Agency ESA, US space agency NASA, and the Canadian Space Agency CSA, and will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Webb is designed to see farther into our origins: from the formation of stars and planets to the birth of the first galaxies in the early Universe, just as the International Space Station enables us to learn more about our home planet. Visit the ESA Webb mission page to find out more and follow Webb’s journey on Twitter at @ESA_Webb. For more on Matthias’s International Space Station mission, visit ESA’s Cosmic Kiss webpage. View the full article

Video: 00:01:22 On Thursday 23 December, the James Webb Space Telescope, safely stowed inside the fairing of ESA’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle, left the final assembly building for roll-out to the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Webb, no longer in sight since its encapsulation in the fairing on 17 December, has been closely monitored. The fairing is equipped with specialised environmental controls that keep the observatory in a perfectly controlled temperature and humidity range during its final few days on Earth. Ariane 5, standing 53 m high on its mobile launch platform was transported along rails from the final preparation building to the launch zone where final health checks and preparations for liftoff will occur. This includes filling the propellant tanks of the Ariane 5 core stage with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen via lines through the launch table. Final electrical and software configurations will also occur on the launch pad. Webb will switch to internal battery power about 20 minutes prior to liftoff, and within 15 minutes prior to liftoff the observatory and its launch vehicle will both be fully cleared for flight. Webb will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. As part of an international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Find out more about Webb in ESA’s launch kit and interactive brochure. Access the related broadcast quality video material. View the full article

Image: Red velvet Mars View the full article

Image: The James Webb Space Telescope is safely stowed inside the fairing of ESA’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle, which is now on the launch pad undergoing final checks and fuelling for a targeted liftoff at 12:20 GMT / 13:20 CET on 25 December from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Webb will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. As part of an international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Find out more about Webb in ESA’s launch kit and interactive brochure. View the full article

On Thursday 23 December, the James Webb Space Telescope, safely stowed inside the fairing of ESA’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle, left the final assembly building for roll-out to the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. View the full article

Video: 00:03:29 Webb is the next great space science observatory following Hubble, designed to answer outstanding questions about the Universe and to make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy. Webb will see farther into our origins – from the formation of stars and planets, to the birth of the first galaxies in the early Universe. The telescope will launch on an Ariane 5 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Find out more about Webb in ESA’s launch kit and interactive brochure. View the full article

The target launch date for the James Webb Space Telescope is confirmed for 25 December, as early as possible within the launch window starting at 12:20 GMT / 13:20 CET. According to the planning of operations, the Ariane 5 launcher will be rolled out on 23 December, in the morning local time. View the full article

Image: Testing radar to peer into Jupiter’s moons View the full article

Video: 00:07:25 We’re almost ready to say goodbye to 2021, a year in which ESA once more succeeded in continuing operations in a challenging global situation, and creating some important milestones in the field of European spaceflight. As always, ESA has been at the forefront of science, with several science missions en route to their destinations or being prepared for flight, such as BepiColombo, Solar Orbiter, JUICE and ExoMars, and not least rounding off the year with the impending launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. Europe’s Copernicus programme continues to be the largest Earth observation system in the world, and ESA is even preparing more Earth observation missions. In 2021, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet carried out his Alpha mission to the Space Station, and Matthias Maurer began his Cosmic Kiss mission, continuing into 2022. As we said farewell to Prof. Jan Wörner, a new Director General took the helm of ESA and we welcomed Dr Josef Aschbacher with his ambition to accelerate the use of space in Europe. Meanwhile, the last Vega rocket flight has paved the way for Vega-C, and the new Ariane 6 launchpad was inaugurated. Access the related broadcast quality video material View the full article

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Comet Leonard, a mass of space dust, rock and ice about a kilometre across is heading for a close pass of the Sun on 3 January, and the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft has been watching its evolution over the last days. View the full article

ESA and NASA will be broadcasting live as the James Webb Space Telescope is launched to space on ESA’s Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 12:20 GMT / 13:20 CET on Friday 24 December. View the full article

Video: 00:01:22 On Friday 17 December, the Ariane 5 rocket fairing was closed around the James Webb Space Telescope. This protective fairing, or ‘nose cone’, will shield the telescope during liftoff and its journey through the atmosphere on 24 December. Earlier this week, Webb was placed on top of Ariane 5 and a protective ‘shower curtain’ was put up to avoid any contamination. On the day of encapsulation in the fairing, a protective cover on top of Webb was removed and the fairing was lowered down over the observatory and locked in place for liftoff. This was a particularly delicate operation, assisted by a laser guiding system, because the margins between the folded up observatory (4.5 m wide) and the rocket fairing (5.4 m wide) are small. The fairing is equipped with specialised environmental controls that keep the observatory in a perfectly controlled temperature and humidity range during its final few days on Earth. Now that Webb has been securely attached to its Ariane 5 launch vehicle, and enclosed within its protective fairing, mechanical operations involving the observatory at its launch site in French Guiana have formally concluded. Final electrical and software configurations will occur on the launch pad during the final hours before liftoff. Webb will switch to internal battery power roughly 20 minutes prior to liftoff, and within 15 minutes prior the observatory and its launch vehicle will both be fully cleared for flight. Ariane 5’s rollout to the launch pad is scheduled to begin Wednesday 22 December, and this is where final health checks and preparations for liftoff will occur. Webb will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. As part of an international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Find out more about Webb in ESA’s launch kit and interactive brochure. Access the related broadcast quality video material. View the full article