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A well-studied spiral
A well-studied spiralEarth from Space: Chilean glaciers
Samantha Cristoforetti during helicopter training
ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst, Matthias Maurer, Samantha Cristoforetti and Thomas Pesquet completed a helicopter training course with the German Bundeswehr, Germany's federal defence forces. They participated in a three-week training programme at the International Helicopter Training Centre in Bückeburg, Germany. The course included one week of simulator instruction followed by two weeks of practical flying in EC135 helicopters, with operations conducted over central Germany and in mountainous terrain in the German Alps.
Helicopter training offers a realistic analogue for the dynamics of planetary landings, requiring capabilities such as vertical take-off and landing, terrain-based decision-making, and high levels of coordination and situational awareness. These skills are essential for future human spaceflight missions, including lunar landings, where astronauts will descend to the surface using a human landing system and later launch back to orbit. Helicopter manoeuvres closely mirror these mission phases, helping astronauts build proficiency in environments that demand precision and adaptability.
Alexander and Matthias began the course in mid-September, with Samantha and Thomas joining at the beginning of October. The group formally graduated from training on 17 October, marking a key milestone in Europe's preparations for future missions to the Moon and operations on the lunar surface.
First bedrest samples arrive at exploration biobank in Portugal
ESA Open Day 2025: an unforgettable journey through space science at ESAC
English ESA Open Day 2025: An Unforgettable Journey Through Space Science at ESAC
On 4 October 2025, the European Space Agency opened the doors of ESAC – the European Space Astronomy Centre near Madrid – for an inspiring day of discovery. Visitors had the opportunity to explore ESA’s window to the Universe, where missions studying our Solar System, the Milky Way and the distant Universe are operated and analysed.
Throughout the day, guests met ESA scientists and engineers, learned about missions such as Gaia, XMM-Newton, and JUICE, and experienced hands-on activities that brought the wonders of astrophysics and planetary science to life. Interactive exhibits, talks, and guided tours showcased how ESA’s science missions are expanding our understanding of the cosmos.
More than two thousand participants of all ages enjoyed an unforgettable day filled with curiosity, innovation, and a shared passion for exploring the Universe.
Spanish Día de Puertas Abiertas de la ESA 2025: Un viaje inolvidable por la ciencia espacial en ESAC
El 4 de octubre de 2025, la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) abrió las puertas de ESAC – el Centro Europeo de Astronomía Espacial, cerca de Madrid – para una jornada inspiradora dedicada al descubrimiento. Los visitantes tuvieron la oportunidad única de adentrarse en el corazón del programa científico de la Agencia Espacial Europea, la ventana de la ESA al Universo, donde se operan y analizan misiones que estudian nuestro Sistema Solar, la Vía Láctea y el espacio profundo.
Charlas, exposiciones y visitas guiadas mostraron cómo las misiones científicas de la ESA amplían nuestro conocimiento del cosmos. A lo largo del día, los asistentes pudieron conocer a científicos e ingenieros de la ESA, descubrir misiones como Gaia, XMM-Newton y JUICE, y participar en actividades interactivas que acercaron la astrofísica y la ciencia planetaria al público de todas las edades.
Más de dos mil personas disfrutaron de una jornada inolvidable y llena de curiosidad, innovación y pasión por explorar el Universo.
Ramses: ESA’s mission to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis
Friday the 13th of April 2029 will be our lucky day.
Apophis, a 375-metre-wide asteroid, will safely pass Earth at a distance of less than 32 000 kilometres. For a few hours, Apophis will be closer than satellites in geostationary orbit and visible to the naked eye from Europe and Africa.
Space agencies have sent a number of spacecraft to asteroids, but we have never had a mission at an asteroid as it sweeps past a planet. This grand natural experiment offers a unique opportunity to study in real time how an asteroid responds to a strong external force – and the European Space Agency aims to have a front-row seat.
To this end, ESA’s Space Safety Programme has proposed the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses). If approved, Ramses would launch a year ahead of the Apophis flyby, travelling through space to rendezvous with the asteroid months before its encounter with Earth.
Ramses would use a suite of scientific instruments to measure Apophis’s size, shape, composition, rotation and trajectory as it is pulled and stretched by Earth’s gravity. It wouldalso deploy two smaller spacecraft at the asteroid to study Apophis up-close.
Apophis poses no danger to Earth during the flyby, but an asteroid of this size passes thisclose to our planet only once every roughly seven thousand years. By seizing this exceptionally rare opportunity to study an asteroid before, during, and after a planetary encounter, Ramses would help us prepare for the day that we may need to deflect a hazardous object on a collision course with Earth.
A cornerstone of the Planetary Defence segment of ESA’s Space Safety Programme, Ramses would demonstrate Europe’s ability to rapidly design, launch and operate a mission to an asteroid of high importance.
When the world looks up to see Apophis passing overhead, Ramses could be flying alongside, uncovering the secrets of the Solar System’s ancient building blocks, and helping us learn how to protect our planet from any that come too close for comfort.
Supporting Europes Competitiveness In Secure Connectivity - Eutelsat OneWeb
This summer, thanks to satellite connectivity from Eutelsat’s low Earth orbit constellation, OneWeb and the support from the European Space Agency (ESA), and the UK Space Agency, the Kaïros’ We Explore catamaran sailed smarter, safer, and more sustainably on its journey to the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.
Providing Satellite Connectivity At Sea - Eutelsat OneWeb
This summer, thanks to satellite connectivity from Eutelsat’s low Earth orbit constellation, OneWeb and the support from the European Space Agency (ESA), and the UK Space Agency, the Kaïros’ We Explore catamaran sailed smarter, safer, and more sustainably on its journey to the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.
Supporting The Science Community - Eutelsat OneWeb
This summer, thanks to satellite connectivity from Eutelsat’s low Earth orbit constellation, OneWeb and the support from the European Space Agency (ESA), and the UK Space Agency, the Kaïros’ We Explore catamaran sailed smarter, safer, and more sustainably on its journey to the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.
Sentinel-1D being moved for fuelling
This is not static noise
Earth from Space: Cyclone Errol
Starbursting centre
Starbursting centrePlato spreads its wings
By fitting its sunshield and solar panels, engineers recently completed the construction of Plato, the European Space Agency’s mission to discover Earth-like exoplanets.
After mounting the combined sunshield and solar array module, engineers tested whether it could unfold correctly.
This video features this deployment test, as it took place in a dedicated cleanroom at ESA’s Test Centre.
In space, special mechanisms will automatically release the panels from their folded position. For this test, the array was released manually by an engineer. The opening of the left and right wings was executed separately. Their deployment went as expected.
Once in orbit, the solar array will catch light from the Sun to power the spacecraft electronics. The sunshield will keep the scientific equipment in shadow, protecting it from the Sun’s glare.
Completing the construction of Plato’s spacecraft
Completing the construction of Plato’s spacecraftMars Express sees a dust devil dancing across Mars
Simulations ongoing for Sentinel-6B
In September, mission controllers at ESA's mission control centre started a major simulations exercise to ensure that the next Copernicus Sentinel Earth Observation mission, Sentinel-6B, safely navigates its first days in space.ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter observes comet 3I/ATLAS – GIF
Hera’s first year in space
What a difference a year makes! Today Hera’s asteroid mission for planetary defence is cruising through deep space on the far side of the Sun, headed to its final destination: the Didymos binary asteroid system. But a year ago, on 7 October 2024, it was unsure if the mission was ever going to take off at all.
Its launcher was grounded due to a launch anomaly and Hurricane Milton was closing on Cape Canaveral! The mission needed to lift off then and there because it had to perform a flyby of Mars to speed it on its way to Didymos. Any delay would add years to its travel time. But Hera received permission for launch and the heavens cleared just half an hour before launch. Liftoff happened to plan – the team had their mission in space!
Since then Hera has been testing out the ‘self-driving’ technology it will use around the asteroids on Earth and the Moon, performed its flyby of Mars and imaged its very first asteroid from three million kilometres, proving the capability of its main Asteroid Framing Camera. Next Hera is heading for aphelion, its furthest distance from the Sun. It will reach Didymos in autumn 2026, after which it will begin its mission to find out what happened to the smaller asteroid after NASA’s DART spacecraft impacted it in September 2022.
Meganne Christian | Pinch-Me Moments & Polar Missions | ESA Explores #15
Meet Meganne Christian — With a PhD in industrial chemistry and hands-on experience in extreme environments, Meganne has tested graphene coatings in microgravity and led atmospheric research during winter-over missions at Concordia Station in Antarctica. Her career spans science, engineering and exploration — and now includes astronaut reserve training with ESA.
In this miniseries, we take you on a journey through the ESA Astronaut Reserve, diving into the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany. Our “ARTists” are immersing themselves in everything from ESA and the International Space Station programme to the European space industry and institutions. They’re gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, alongside human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving and survival training.
ESA’s Astronaut Reserve Training programme is all about building Europe’s next generation of space explorers—preparing them for the opportunities of future missions in Earth orbit and beyond.
This interview was recorded in February 2025.
You can listen to this episode on all major podcast platforms.
Keep exploring with ESA Explores!
ESA spots asteroid that made very close approach to Earth
ESA spots asteroid that made very close approach to EarthInauguration of ESA's fourth deep space antenna
The inauguration ceremony was led by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher alongside Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency.The IRIDE programme
IRIDE, which stands for International Report for an Innovative Defence of Earth, is an ambitious Italian Earth observation programme. It will provide information for a wide range of environmental, emergency and security products and services that will help public authorities to make decisions based on scientific data from space.
Coordinated by ESA with support from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the IRIDE programme involves the deployment of six satellite constellations. It is one of the most complex and comprehensive Earth observation satellite systems in the world. Each constellation carries specific satellite technology, from radar and optical to hyperspectral and multispectral instruments.
The overall IRIDE constellation is expected to be operational by June 2026.
Closing ceremony of the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025
Follow the closing ceremony of the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Sydney, Australia from 29 September to 3 October 2025. IAC 2025 was hosted by Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and co-hosted by Australian Space Agency and NSW Government. The theme of IAC Sydney 2025 was “Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth” which set the stage for important discussions such as: space-based application for earth; sustainable space activities; and sustaining life off earth. Key focus areas included showcasing the Asia Pacific region, inspiring and engaging the next generation’s space workforce, engaging a broad range of industries, and educating the community about ‘why space matters’ through the IAC’s open day.
The ceremony was hosted by Christian Feichtinger, IAC with the following speakers: Gabriella Arrigo, Asi; Asanda Ntisana, South African Space Agency and Jeremy Hallett, Space Industry Association of Australia.
IRIDE constellations
IRIDE’s system consists of six constellations equipped with sensors for Earth observation. It is one of the most complex and comprehensive Earth observation satellite systems in the world.
Each of the six constellations carries different types of sensors, from radar and optical to hyperspectral and multispectral instruments, which detect a wide range of characteristics of the Earth’s surface, providing the core inputs for the data products and services offered by IRIDE.
The overall IRIDE constellation is expected to be operational by June 2026.
Tracking satellites at the speed of light
2025 marks a landmark year for Europe’s ‘bridge between Earth and space’. The European Space Agency’s Estrack satellite tracking network turns 50.
Since its inception in 1975, Estrack – ESA’s global network of ground stations – has formed the vital communication bridge between satellites in orbit and mission control at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany.
Now comprising six stations spanning six countries, Estrack has grown into a strategic asset for Europe, enabling communication with spacecraft, transmitting commands and receiving scientific data.
The network keeps an eye on satellites no matter their location: tracking them across Earth orbit, voyaging to comets or asteroids, keeping station at the scientifically important Sun-Earth Lagrange points, and deep into our Solar System. It even keeps tabs on European launchers as they soar into orbit, ensuring no rocket is ever out of reach.
This year, ESA is also expanding its deep space communication capabilities with the construction of a new 35-metre deep space antenna – the fourth of its kind. It will be joining the existing one at New Norcia station, Australia, to help meet the Agency's fast increasing data download needs.
Josef Aschbacher addresses the IAC 2025 panel on Space Sustainability: Regional Priorities, Global Responsibility
Follow the questions to ESA DG during the IAC 2025 panel on Space Sustainability, moderated by Heriberto Saldivar (Head of Strategy, ESA).
Yellow and blue, old and new
Yellow and blue, old and newEarth from Space: Kilauea lava lake, Hawaii
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