ESA Top Multimedia

Mars Express spies metallic waves in Mars’s ancient highlands

Artemis II astronauts visit the ESA workforce at ESTEC in the Netherlands.

This video was published by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on social media with the following caption: 

Day 144, orbit 2233 — Many of you noticed the pink glow in the recent timelapses done in Columbus…That’s thanks to Veggie , the International Space Station’s vegetable production system — our little space garden! The Veggie chamber glows magenta-pink because it emits a light spectrum that’s perfect for plant growth!

During Expedition 74, Veggie hosted the Veg-06 experiment, with two main goals: to study how alfalfa plants and beneficial bacteria work together in microgravity to capture nitrogen from the air and turn it into nutrients plants can use… and to look at how lignin – the material that helps plants stand upright on Earth – changes in space.

The alfafa plants were successfully grown – watered and nurtured by all of us – then harvested (aerial parts and roots) and stowed in a freezer. They were sent back to Earth for further analysis on board the CRS SpX‑34 cargo Dragon.

For us, working on Veggie is a real taste of home – a reminder of what a garden looks and smells like. There’s something very special about watching the plants grow and caring for them day after day. I loved working on this experiment

It is clear that being able to grow fresh food in space will be crucial for long exploration missions, not just for nutrition, but for crew morale as well. A better understanding of nitrogen fixation is also key to improving soil quality on Earth, while studying lignin may benefit agriculture and forestry in the long run. Go science!

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Jour 144, orbite 2233 — Vous avez été nombreux à faire des commentaires sur l’ambiance rose dans les récents timelapses réalisés dans Columbus… Le responsable : Veggie , notre petit jardin à bord de la Station spatiale internationale ! La lumière rose-magenta caractéristique de Veggie provient des LED qui diffusent un spectre lumineux idéal pour la croissance des plantes.

Pendant l’Expédition 74, Veggie a accueilli l’expérience Veg-06, qui avait deux principaux objectifs. Premièrement, étudier comment la luzerne et des bactéries symbiotiques collaborent en micropesanteur pour capter l’azote présent dans l’air et le transformer en nutriments assimilables par les plantes. Deuxièmement, comprendre comment évolue la lignine, le matériau qui aide les plantes à se tenir droites sur Terre, lorsqu’elles poussent dans l’espace.

Les plants de luzerne ont bien poussé, arrosés et entretenus par l’ensemble de l’équipage! Ils ont ensuite été récoltés (parties aériennes et racines), stockés dans un congélateur puis renvoyés sur Terre à bord du vaisseau-cargo Dragon CRS SpX-34 afin d’être analysés plus en détail.

Pour nous, travailler sur Veggie, c’est retrouver un petit coin de Terre dans l’espace – un précieux rappel visuel et olfactif de ce qu’est un jardin… C’est très touchant de voir les plantes grandir et de s’en occuper au fil des jours. J’ai adoré travailler sur cette expérience

Il sera essentiel pour les futures missions d’exploration de longue durée d’avoir cette capacité de production d’aliments frais , non seulement pour l’alimentation, mais aussi pour le moral des équipages. Mieux comprendre le mécanisme de fixation de l’azote, c’est la possibilité d’améliorer la qualité des sols sur Terre, et l’étude de la lignine pourrait bénéficier à long terme à l’agriculture et à la foresterie.

Vive la science !

Following its installation on board the International Space Station, Sophie began testing the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D), marking the start of a two-year technology demonstration led by ESA in Columbus. During this period, astronauts will evaluate the device's design, operational performance and effectiveness in counteracting the physical deconditioning caused by life in microgravity.

In March 2026 the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope discovered 31 of the most ancient quasars ever found, more than doubling the number of quasars we know of that are so old. Two of these giant, dazzling, black hole-powered galaxy cores are older than any we’ve seen before. These cosmic elders shone with the light of a trillion Suns back when the Universe was 670 million years old – just 5% of its current age. 

Read more

This video was published by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on social media with the following caption:

Day 133, orbit 2063 — In this timelapse, I’m retrieving the fourth sample printed with the first 3D metal printer ever sent to space, ESA’s Metal 3D printer… and getting everything ready for the next printing session! Before opening the printer, the procedure requires putting on safety goggles and a mask, just in case there are any floating nanoparticles.

3D printers are far from being simple gadgets. They aim at increasing crew autonomy, which will be even more crucial during future exploration missions, when resupply will be far more difficult than it is in low Earth orbit. With 3D printing, we could manufacture spare parts or tools on demand!

On Earth, this printer weighs about 180 kg. In orbit, it weighs nothing – but its mass hasn’t disappeared. When I handled it, its inertia made it very clear that it is heavy

Full disclosure: as often happens in extreme environments, emotions are heightened… I felt a huge sense of joy using this electric screwdriver, which we very rarely use onboard the ISS. Since I love tinkering, it genuinely made me really, really happy haha! It reminded me of what I love doing back on Earth!

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Jour 133, orbite 2063 – Dans ce timelapse, je récupère le 4e échantillon imprimé à l’aide de la première imprimante 3D metal envoyée en orbite, l’imprimante Metal 3D de l’ESA… et je prépare la suivante! Avant d’ouvrir, la procédure stipule de mettre des lunettes de sécurité et un masque, au cas où il y aurait des nanoparticules de métal en suspension suite à l’impression.

Loin d’être un gadget, les imprimantes 3D permettent d’augmenter l’autonomie des équipages – ce sera d’autant plus important lors de missions d’exploration, pendant lesquelles il sera beaucoup plus difficile d’être ravitaillé qu’en orbite terrestre. Ces imprimantes ouvrent la possibilité de fabriquer ses propres pièces de rechange ou outils , en fonction des besoins !
Sur Terre, cette imprimante pèse environ 180 kg. En orbite, elle ne pèse plus rien – mais sa masse, elle, n’a pas disparu. Et quand je la manipule, son inertie me le rappelle immédiatement : c’est du lourd
Petite confidence : comme souvent dans les environnements extrêmes, les émotions sont décuplées… ici, immense joie d’utiliser cette visseuse électrique qu’on utilise que très rarement à bord de l’ISS. Vu que j’adore bricoler, cela m’a vraiment fait super hyper plaisir de l’utiliser haha ! Et ça m’a rappelé ce que j’aime faire sur Terre !

Millions of stars. Thousands of hidden worlds. One unprecedented view of our galaxy.

Three years since launch, ESA’s Euclid space telescope reveals the Milky Way galaxy’s centre in extraordinary detail: a mosaic of tens of millions of stars captured in just 26 hours.But this is more than an image. It is a map of stellar evolution, from dark clouds where stars are being born to ancient populations packed into the galactic bulge.

And hidden within this dense field of light are planets we cannot see directly.

Through gravitational microlensing, astronomers detect distant worlds by measuring tiny, temporary changes in light as stars pass in front of one another, revealing planets and even their masses through gravity alone.

Euclid, originally built to explore dark matter and dark energy, is now helping open a new window on our own galaxy, and the unseen worlds within it.

What did space have in store for Europe this month? This June, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano was named pilot of NASA's Artemis III mission, Ariane 6 set a new European launch record, Proba-3 returned to operations, ESA satellites detected early signs of El Niño, Euclid unveiled its most detailed view yet of the Milky Way's galactic centre, and Sophie Adenot reached the halfway point of her εpsilon mission aboard the International Space Station.

Join us for another month of European space achievements.

What really happens during a solar eclipse? ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez Fernández separates myth from fact, answering common questions and misconceptions about one of nature's most spectacular phenomena.

ESA is getting ready for three European solar eclipses. Follow this page to keep up to date with our planned activities!

Day 131, orbit 2028 — Being an astronaut on a space mission doesn’t mean you get out of vacuuming or dusting! A few weeks ago, I shared a timelapse of tidying up the European Columbus lab… and here’s another one – this time, it’s all about cleaning

On board the ISS, we pay special attention to the air vents. Every system that pulls in air is equipped with filters that trap dust, and we vacuum those to keep the airflow running smoothly.

So yes… every Saturday, it’s cleaning day: cloths and vacuum out! And I’m sure some of you are wondering: just like everything else up here, each task is scheduled by the planners on the ground.

So to all the kids reading this: astronauts definitely have to put everything back where they found it and to do their chores ‍ , even on board a spaceship!

 

À bord de l’ISS, on porte une attention particulière au nettoyage des grilles de ventilation. Chaque système qui aspire l’air est doté de filtres qui captent la poussière. Ce sont eux qu’on nettoie avec l’aspirateur pour garder un fonctionnement optimal de la ventilation.

Du coup, tous les samedis, c’est chiffon et aspirateur ! Et je suis sûre que vous vous posez la question : comme pour toutes les activités, ce sont les planificateurs au sol qui mettent cette activité sur notre emploi du temps.

Alors à tous les enfants qui me lisent : être astronaute ‍ , c’est aussi devoir ranger chaque chose à sa place… et faire le ménage à bord de son vaisseau spatial ! 

Sophie is halfway through the εpsilon mission onboard the ISS, and she has already accomplished so much. Between hundreds of hours of scientific research and thousands of photographs taken from space, she has taken the time to share many unforgettable moments with us — inspiring millions along the way on social media.

This timelapse shows operations by Dextre, a highly precise robotic “handyman” attached to the International Space Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2.

Dextre is designed for delicate tasks such as repairs, maintenance, and handling small components. Canadarm2 can move around the Station and is used to capture visiting spacecraft and carefully position equipment or astronauts.

Both systems can be operated by astronauts on board the Station as well as by specialized robotics teams on the ground.

This timelapse was published by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on social media with the following caption:

Day 105, orbit 1629 — This accelerated video shows the installation of MatISS-4, a French experiment that aims to collect and study the biocontamination of the air inside the European Columbus module. Biocontamination – such as small skin cells, droplets from sneezes or saliva, and bacteria – is unavoidable, so we make sure to clean surfaces every week (I’ll publish a housekeeping timelapse soon!), but some areas are particularly hard to reach…

Over 10 years, MatISS has shown that the Station’s systems are very efficient; after several months of exposure, the contamination level inside the MatISS cases remains low. MatISS-4 features a new design, which will allow the contaminated membranes to be analysed at the European Synchrotron in Grenoble using an X-ray nano-imaging instrument. Go science! 

MatISS has also enabled researchers to identify surfaces that are more resistant to biocontamination, opening up many applications on Earth: in public transportation, where thousands of people touch the same surfaces every day, in places where limiting contamination is key, such as hospitals, cruise ships, and submarines, and even in livestock farming. Less biocontamination = less cleaning with chemical products! 

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Jour 105, orbite 1629 – Cette vidéo accélérée montre l’installation de MatISS‑4, une expérience française qui vise à collecter et étudier la biocontamination de l’air à l’intérieur du module européen Columbus. La biocontamination – cellules de peau, éternuements, postillons, bactéries – est inévitable. Nous nettoyons les surfaces chaque semaine (je publierai bientôt un timelapse de ménage !), mais certaines zones sont particulièrement difficiles d’accès…

Depuis plus de 10 ans, MatISS démontre que les systèmes de la Station sont très efficaces ; après plusieurs mois d’exposition, le niveau de contamination à l’intérieur des boîtiers reste faible. MatISS‑4 présente un nouveau design, qui permettra d’analyser les membranes contaminées à l’aide d’un instrument de nano-imagerie X du synchrotron européen de Grenoble. Vive la science !

MatISS a également permis aux chercheurs d’identifier des surfaces plus résistantes à la biocontamination, ouvrant la voie à de nombreuses applications sur Terre : dans les transports publics, où des milliers de personnes touchent les mêmes surfaces chaque jour , dans les lieux où limiter la contamination est essentiel, tels que les hôpitaux, les navires de croisière et les sous‑marins, et même dans les élevages. Moins de biocontamination = moins de nettoyage avec des produits chimiques !

On 20 May, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted an in-flight call with selected media representatives live aboard the International Space Station. During the discussion, Sophie shared insights into life and research in orbit, including scientific experiments supporting human health, climate science and future space exploration.

In this timelapse, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot performs routine maintenance on the Waste and Hygiene Compartment, or WHC – the ISS toilet system. She is replacing the full solid-waste container in which solid waste is vacuum-dried, compressed and kept airtight. This operation typically takes place once or twice a week, when the container reaches capacity.