Image: This ghostly image shows what can happen when an interstellar cloud passes too close to a star. Barnard’s Merope Nebula, also known as IC 349, is a cloud of interstellar gas and dust travelling through the Pleiades star cluster at a relative speed of 11 kilometres per second. It is passing close to the […]
Today, ESA and Arianespace signed a contract that secures the launch of the Earth Explorer Biomass satellite. With liftoff scheduled for 2022 on a Vega launch vehicle from French Guiana, this new mission is another step closer to mapping the amount of carbon stored in forests and how it changes over time though deforestation, for […]
Discover our week through the lens (21-25 October 2019). To source
Wildfires have been making headlines again this month, with multiple fires burning in Lebanon and California, but these are just some of the many fires 2019 has seen. Fires in the Amazon sparked a global outcry this summer, but fires have also been blazing in the Arctic, France, Greece, Indonesia as well as many other […]
ESA and the French space agency CNES have signed an important agreement that will see the two agencies improve interoperability between their mission control facilities on ground, enhancing the abilities of each organisation in space. To source
Quick access to space and high-speed data transfer are paving the way for competitive science on the International Space Station. The Bartolomeo external platform received a boost today as ESA and Airbus confirmed their interest in using this new space-based vantage point for several experiments. To source
UK company Reaction Engines has tested its innovative precooler at airflow temperature conditions equivalent to Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. This achievement marks a significant milestone in its ESA-supported development of the air-breathing SABRE engine, paving the way for a revolution in space access and hypersonic flight. To source
ESA is preparing to use machine learning to protect satellites from the very real and growing danger of space debris. The Agency is developing a collision avoidance system that will automatically assess the risk and likelihood of in-space collisions, improve the decision making process on whether or not a manoeuvre is needed, and may even […]
This month space experts from all over the world convened in Luxembourg for the first Space Resources Week to discuss how best to explore our Solar System sustainably and limit costly transport of resources from Earth. For example, can we produce water and oxygen on the Moon? To source
Satellites are built to live in the harsh environment of space but engineers must also factor in the rigours of the journey there. ESA has helped RUAG Space Switzerland to develop new rocket fairings that offer a smoother quieter ride to space. To source
Video: 00:03:00 Launched in December 2013, the Gaia mission is revolutionising our understanding of the Milky Way. The space telescope is mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail – measuring the position, movement and distance of stars. At a meeting in Groningen in the Netherlands, scientists have been discussing the challenge of processing and visualising Gaia […]
Tune in to ESA’s latest digital channel: ESA Web TV! This is ESA’s one-stop-shop for all live events from launches to lectures. To source
Welcome to a new fresh look for our website! With a new content structure reflecting ESA’s ambitions for the future, and more focus on images and video, we hope you will find our website more engaging and dynamic. To source