Video: 00:02:27 ESA’s Proba-3 mission lifted off on its PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Thursday, 5 December, at 11:34 CET (10:34 GMT, 16:04 local time). To source
Archive | ESA
Eclipse-making double satellite Proba-3 enters orbit
A pair of spacecraft were launched together today from India with the potential to change the nature of future space missions. ESA’s twin Proba-3 platforms will perform precise formation flying down to a single millimetre, as if they were one single giant spacecraft. To demonstrate their degree of control, the pair will produce artificial solar […]
Vega-C complete for return to flight
To source
Webb finds surprises in Spiderweb protocluster field
Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers have found new galaxies in the Spiderweb protocluster. Their characteristics reveal that new galaxies are forming in these large cosmic cities, with the finding that gravitational interactions in these dense regions are not as important as previously thought. To source
Creating artificial eclipses to study the Sun | Proba-3 explained
Video: 00:09:01 Proba-3 is such an ambitious mission that it needs more than one single spacecraft to succeed. In order for Proba-3’s Coronagraph spacecraft to observe the Sun’s faint surrounding atmosphere, its disk-bearing Occulter spacecraft must block out the fiery solar disk. This means Proba-3’s Occulter ends up facing the Sun continuously, making it a […]
Five space mysteries Proba-3 will help solve
ESA’s Proba-3 will be the first mission to create an artificial total solar eclipse by flying a pair of satellites 150 metres apart. For six hours at a time, it will be able to see the Sun’s faint atmosphere, the corona, in the hard-to-observe region between the Sun’s edge and 1.4 million kilometres from its […]
ESA teams up with Massive Attack to boost climate action
A mesmerising audiovisual experience from trip-hop collective Massive Attack that blends an original score with stunning satellite images of Earth was enjoyed by thousands of climate enthusiasts in Liverpool. To source
Bepi, Mio and MTM greet Mercury for the fifth time
Image: Bepi, Mio and MTM greet Mercury for the fifth time To source
Ignis mission name and patch explained
Video: 00:02:39 The Ignis mission, named after the Latin word for ‘fire,’ symbolises the spark igniting a new era in Poland’s space endeavours. The central motif of the patch features an eagle – a reference to the emblem of Poland – in white and red, reflecting the colours and design of the Polish national flag. Its tail gracefully […]
Research study sets path for a global 5G space network
Researchers have achieved a breakthrough by mapping out the future of space-enabled 5G telecommunications. The 5G Infrastructure Study (5G-IS), funded by ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate, provides a comprehensive blueprint for delivering reliable connectivity worldwide. To source
Proba-3: Flying two spacecraft is harder than one
What’s harder than flying a single satellite in Earth orbit? Flying two – right beside each other, at proximities that would normally trigger collision avoidance manoeuvres. To source
BepiColombo's fifth Mercury flyby
Image: BepiColombo’s fifth Mercury flyby To source
Watch live: Vega-C to launch Sentinel-1C
The Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite is ready for liftoff! Tune in to ESA WebTV on 4 December from 22:00 CET to watch the satellite soar into space on a Vega-C rocket to be launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Sentinel-1C is scheduled to liftoff at 22:20 CET. To source