ESA Top Multimedia
Carbon monoxide from fires in North America
LKH Milky Way merger (artist’s impression)
About 12 billion years ago, a dwarf galaxy known as LKH (left) collided with a young Milky Way (right) and merged with it. This artist’s concept portrays that collision. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope uncovered definitive evidence of this long-ago collision by studying ancient globular star clusters.
[Image description: An illustration of two galaxies in the midst of a collision against a dark, star-filled background. The collision takes up the middle third of the illustration. On the right, a larger galaxy is viewed at an angle from 11 o’clock to 4 o’clock, with a white-yellow core surrounded by mottled brown dust lanes and faint bluish spiral arms. To the left, a smaller, bright blue-white galaxy is stretched into a curved, hook-like shape as gravity distorts it. A broad, glowing bridge of pale blue gas and stars extends off the galaxy at the left, while wispy streams extend above and below the larger galaxy at the right. The words “Artist’s Concept” appear in the lower left corner.]
Total solar eclipse 2026 (Official ESA broadcast)
We broadcast live from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre in Spain as a total solar eclipse crossed Europe on 12 August 2026.
The path of totality swept across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small area of northeastern Portugal, while much of Europe experienced a partial eclipse.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun.
The Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre is a world-class astronomical observatory located within the path of totality. During the broadcast, scientists, astronomers and special guests explored the science behind eclipses, the Sun and their wider relevance for space science and Earth.
The broadcast was hosted by Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, award-winning space scientist and science communicator, and featured ESA's Director of Science Carole Mundell alongside other guests.
It included live telescope views of the eclipse, expert commentary and interviews, insights into solar science and space weather, behind-the-scenes coverage from the observatory, and discussions on ESA’s activities linked to the eclipse.
Learn more about ESA’s activities surrounding the 2026 eclipse, as well as those coming to Europe in 2027 and 2028.
A double eclipse for Proba-3
The Moon crossing Proba-3’s field of viewMTG-I1 captures eclipse path of totality over Europe
Yesterday between 20:26 and 20:34 CEST, parts of the Iberian peninsula experienced a total solar eclipse. This animation, composed of images from the Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I1), caught the Moon’s dark shadow as it passed over Earth’s surface – converging with the advancing twilight shadow as dusk fell over Europe.
From its vantage point in geostationary orbit, MTG-I1 keeps its imaging instruments focused on Europe and northern Africa from a distance of 36 000 km above Earth’s surface. This enabled it to track the Moon’s shadow, called the path of totality, as it swept first over Greenland and Iceland, then over a small part of northeastern Portugal and finally, Spain.
While the total eclipse itself lasted just a few minutes on mainland Europe, a partial eclipse was visible over a much wider area. Spectators were able to see the Moon partially covering the Sun’s disc as far apart as northern Canada, the Nordic countries and the western coast of Africa, as far south as Sierra Leone and Liberia.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the face of the Sun for a short period. During totality, a halo of light is visible around the Moon, known as the Sun’s corona.
There are more solar eclipses to come between now and 2028 – watch out for updates on ESA’s solar eclipse activities.
The MTG mission is preparing to place its third satellite in orbit. MTG-I2 is scheduled for launch on 27 August 2026, on board flight VA270 on an Ariane 6 launcher, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Musification of the 2026 total solar eclipse
[English] Experience a musical simulation of the 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse as seen from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (Spain). Click here for information about ESA’s live broadcast from this observatory, or visit esa.int/solareclipse for an overview of all ESA eclipse activities & resources.
This is a ‘musification’ – an artistic interpretation of a set of data. In this case, the eclipse determines when and how much of each sound is heard. The music is simply the way those data are presented.
This musification is a collaboration ESA’s CESAR team and Rubén García Benito from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC). It uses nine parameters extracted from a Stellarium simulation of the total solar eclipse:
Arpeggio (the rapid succession of notes): Visible sunlight. Its rhythm, range (spanning almost four octaves), and volume are determined by the light itself; the chord follows the colour of the sky. It fades out as the Sun sets. (The data determine the behaviour; the scale and pattern are artistic choices.)
Pad (background chord): The colour of the light; the redder and warmer the light becomes, the darker the chord. (The colour is the data.)
Bass (sub): The weight of the darkness; deepest during totality. (Data-driven.)
Heartbeat: The tension, reflecting how quickly the light is falling; it comes to rest during totality. (Data: rate of change.)
Bells: The actual contacts C1, C2, maximum eclipse and C3 (there is no C4, as the Sun sets before the eclipse ends). (Sonification: marking a real moment in time.)
Shimmering sound during totality: The solar corona. (A musical element placed at the real event.)
Descending whoosh: The exact moment when the Sun disappears behind the horizon. (An icon of the event; not measured wind.)
Low night drone: The onset of night (entering when the Sun passes below the horizon). (Data: when it happens and to what extent.)
Stars (soft sparkling tones): The stars that become visible at night (but not during totality). (Data: when they appear and how many are visible.)
[Spanish] Vive una simulación musical del eclipse solar total del 12 de agosto de 2026 tal como se verá desde el Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (España). Visita esa.int/solareclipse para consultar un resumen de todas las actividades y recursos de la ESA relacionados con el eclipse.
Se trata de una musificación, es decir, una interpretación artística de un conjunto de datos. En este caso, el eclipse determina cuándo se escucha cada sonido y con qué intensidad. La música es simplemente la forma en que se presentan esos datos.
Esta musificación es fruto de una colaboración entre el equipo CESAR de la ESA y Rubén García Benito, del Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC). Utiliza nueve parámetros extraídos de una simulación del eclipse solar total realizada con Stellarium:
• Arpegio (rápida sucesión de notas): La luz solar visible. Su ritmo, extensión (que abarca casi cuatro octavas) y volumen están determinados por la propia luz; el acorde sigue el color del cielo. Se desvanece a medida que el Sol se pone. (Los datos determinan el comportamiento; la escala y el patrón son elecciones artísticas).
• Pad (acorde de fondo): El color de la luz. Cuanto más rojiza y cálida se vuelve la luz, más oscuro es el acorde. (El color es el dato).
• Grave (subgrave): El peso de la oscuridad, que alcanza su máxima intensidad durante la totalidad. (Basado en datos).
• Latido: La tensión, que refleja la rapidez con la que disminuye la luz; se calma durante la totalidad. (Dato: tasa de cambio).
• Campanas: Los contactos reales C1, C2, máximo eclipse y C3 (no hay C4 porque el Sol se pone antes de que termine el eclipse). (Sonificación: marca un instante real en el tiempo).
• Brillo suspendido durante la totalidad: La corona solar. (Elemento musical situado en el momento real del acontecimiento).
• Soplo descendente: El instante exacto en que el Sol desaparece tras el horizonte. (Un recurso sonoro que representa el evento; no se trata de viento medido).
• Zumbido (dron) nocturno grave: El inicio de la noche (cuando el Sol desciende por debajo del horizonte). (Datos: cuándo ocurre y en qué grado).
• Estrellas (suaves tonos centelleantes): Las estrellas que se hacen visibles durante la noche (pero no durante la totalidad). (Datos: cuándo aparecen y cuántas son visibles).
Our galaxy and faraway worlds, Gaia, Plato, and hearing stars wobble – Expedition Sound episode 3
Wobbling stars and distant worlds – in this episode of Expedition Sound, we leave the planets of our Solar System behind and venture out into our home galaxy to explore the stars and exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Through the sonification of so-called starquakes observed by the European Space Agency’s Gaia space telescope, we explore what we can learn from listening to the heartbeat of stars and how astronomers uncover clues about their age, structure and life story.
We hear from Sarah Kane, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, who studies stars using data from ESA's Gaia mission. Sarah shares how starquakes can help astronomers learn about the evolution of stars and reflects on her experiences doing astronomical research as a scientist with a visual impairment.
We also meet Maximilian Günther, Project Scientist for ESA's upcoming Plato mission, to explore what we can learn from studying exoplanets and how missions such as Gaia and Plato are helping us piece together the story of worlds so far from our own.
Hosted by Zsófi Szalavári
Check out the sonification by Joey Mombarg here.
Learn more about ESA’s Gaia mission.
Learn more about ESA’s Plato mission.
Original theme music produced by Marci Szalavári (https://soundcloud.com/septrone-hd).
A total solar eclipse is coming to Europe
When the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, it casts a shadow onto Earth's surface. For people in the darkest part of this shadow, the face of the Sun is totally blocked out, and its wispy atmosphere becomes visible.
On Wednesday 12 August, such a shadow will cross Greenland, Iceland, northeastern Portugal and Spain. With this being the first total eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1905, the European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to do something special.
ESA’s live broadcast from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre will allow anyone to experience this rare phenomenon from anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, the Agency is working with the City and University of León to organise a free in-person event, inviting people to come together for a day of interactive workshops, talks and live observations.
IRS 3 Field (NIRCam and MIRI image)
This image features data from Webb’s NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid Infrared Instrument) to capture the most detailed mid-infrared view yet of the field that hosts the highly evolved star IRS 3, which is located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way galaxy's central supermassive black hole.
An international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to this supermassive black hole. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.
[Image description: A dense star field fills the entire image, with countless stars scattered across a backdrop of glowing clouds in shades of red, orange, pink, white, and blue. At the centre, a brilliant concentration of stars creates a bright, almost white core surrounded by intricate filaments and wisps of illuminated gas and dust that radiate outward. Dark, irregular patches of opaque dust interrupt the glowing clouds, particularly toward the left side of the image, where they appear as silhouetted shapes against the brighter background. The surrounding stellar population varies in brightness and colour, with cool blue stars and warmer orange and red stars distributed throughout the scene.]
Sophie Adenot’s first spacewalk
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot will take part in her first-ever spacewalk during U.S. Spacewalk 97 set for 18 August 2026. Together with NASA astronaut Anil Menon, she will replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the International Space Station, a critical communications system that enables high-speed data and voice links between Mission Control in Houston and the space station.
Watch it live on ESA WebTV and the ESA’s YouTube channel. Coverage begins at 13:00 CEST, with the spacewalk scheduled to begin at approximately 14:35 CEST.
Lion Nebula roars to life for Webb
Observing across the starry 'plains' of space, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has taken images of NGC 2392, nicknamed the Lion Nebula.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope previously viewed this planetary nebula in 2000, imaging the lion face-shaped target in visible light and revealing features such as the “mane” of hazy, comet-shaped objects. Now Webb has captured a clearer, more detailed view of the Lion Nebula due to its high-resolution imaging.
At first glance the nebula’s overall structure in Webb’s infrared images, both with the NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), may look quite similar to Hubble's earlier visible-light view. However, Webb's infrared vision highlights features like compact clumps of dust and haze of ionised gas. It’s taken several thousand years for this collection of gas and dust to reach its current shape, and the nebula’s components continue to be altered.
The source of these constant changes and the reason for the Lion Nebula’s distinct appearance is located at the centre: the remains of a dying star. Though it looks like the button nose of the lion, the central white dwarf's energy is powering the intricate structures seen here.
The bubble of ionised gas, which forms the lion’s face, is expanding over time and destroying dust that is in its path. Understanding the reason for why the swept-up gas has a complex structure of rings and shells, a common feature in planetary nebulae, is an ongoing endeavor.
The mane of the lion is the interior of a dust shell that is being illuminated by the white dwarf at the centre. The tufts of hair, which look like cometary tails of material, are compact clumps of dust that have survived the stellar core’s radiation and are protecting the material that lies behind them.
Webb’s imagery “freezes” this planetary nebula in time, though the star's death, and its tumultuous effects, go on. NGC 2392 will continue to undergo changes as its gas and dust migrate away from the stellar core. Astronomers estimate that the lion will eventually disperse in approximately 10,000 years — a relatively short period in astronomical terms.
[Image description: Planetary nebula NGC 2392, also called the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is in the centre, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very centre is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane.]
Links
Drought hits rivers in southern Norway
Proba-3 mimics the 2026 total solar eclipse
Artificial solar eclipse by Proba-3 missionJoin us live and enjoy the total solar eclipse!
[English] On 12 August 2026, Europe will witness one of nature’s most spectacular events: a total solar eclipse starting at 19:30 CEST.
As the Moon’s shadow sweeps across Spain, join the European Space Agency live from Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre where Dame Dr. Maggie Aderin and ESA scientists will fill you in on everything you need to know about the eclipse and reveal the science behind the spectacle.
Are you watching from Spain? Join ESA in León at Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de León for a day of science, hands-on activities and safe eclipse viewing.
Whether you're under the path of totality or watching from across the globe, ESA is your front-row seat to the cosmos.
Watch live here:
https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
Learn more about the event in León.
[Spanish] El 12 de Agosto de 2026, Europa será testigo de uno de los espectáculos más impresionantes de la naturaleza: un eclipse total de Sol, que comenzará a las 19:30 CEST.
Mientras la sombra de la Luna recorre España, acompaña a la Agencia Espacial Europea en directo desde el Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre, donde la Dra. Maggie Aderin y científicos de la ESA te explicarán todo lo que necesitas saber sobre el eclipse y descubrirán la ciencia que se esconde detrás de este extraordinario fenómeno.
¿Vas a verlo desde España? Únete a la ESA en el Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de León para disfrutar de una jornada llena de ciencia, actividades interactivas y observación segura del eclipse.
Tanto si te encuentras bajo la franja de totalidad como si lo sigues desde cualquier otro lugar del mundo, la ESA te ofrece un asiento en primera fila para vivir este espectáculo del cosmos.
Sigue la retransmisión en directo aquí:
https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
Danube’s waters fall to record lows
These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images over the Danube north of Budapest show how the river’s level has fallen to a record low in Hungary due to a severe drought in central Europe.ExoMars stretches out its legs
The footage shows the simultaneous deployment of two landing legs from the ExoMars landing platform, in two sequential pairs.
The legs travel stowed on the spacecraft through deep space, and are automatically deployed in pairs in less than a second using non-explosive actuators, just after the front shield is jettisoned. This is a crucial step in the landing module’s preparation for touchdown.
The tests used a full-scale model of the landing platform at the Thales Alenia facilities in Turin, Italy. The four legs replicate the structure and dimensions of those that will fly to Mars.
The landing legs are crucial gear for the safe touchdown of ESA’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission in 2030, alongside parachutes and engines that will slow the spacecraft’s descent onto Mars.
While Thales Alenia Space is the industrial lead of the mission, Airbus provides the landing platform. Teams from the Sener company, based in Spain, designed and built the landing legs.
FLEX for revealing vegetation fluorescence
Using cutting-edge technology, ESA’s FLEX mission is designed to reveal new insights into how plants function by measuring the faint fluorescence they emit during photosynthesis. Although invisible to the human eye, this signal changes with environmental conditions and plant health –allowing scientists to assess vegetation stress.
The FLEX satellite is equipped with the Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer (FLORIS), an instrument designed specifically to detect and map this delicate glow.
By capturing these data, FLEX deepens our understanding of how carbon moves between plants and the atmosphere, and how photosynthesis influences both the carbon and water cycles. The mission also provides valuable information on plant health – a critical contribution at a time when a growing global population is putting increasing pressure on food and feed production.
Webb opens a Treasure Chest filled with stars
This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month takes us to a fantastical realm within our home galaxy, where piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpt dust clouds into inventive shapes. This scene is from the Carina Nebula, which lies just 7500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).
Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an incredible collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs revealed in the first-ever Webb image release. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star formation. This nebula houses some of the most massive stars in our galaxy as well as tens of thousands of protostars, offering a valuable opportunity to understand how stars shape their neighbourhoods.
The feature highlighted in today’s image, aptly called the Treasure Chest, looks right at home in this celestial sculpture garden. The Treasure Chest is what’s known as a cometary globule. A cometary globule is an isolated cloud of gas and dust with a dense, dark head and a sweeping tail. These clouds often somewhat resemble comets, but the Treasure Chest looks distinctly like a wooden chest with its lid wide open.
However, this chest doesn’t contain jewels or gold coins, but instead a compact cluster of young stars. These stars are responsible for the otherworldly glow coming from within the Treasure Chest, revealed by Webb’s sensitive Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Researchers estimate that the Treasure Chest’s cluster contains about 70 stars, the most massive of which is a rare O-type star roughly 19 times as massive as the Sun.
The star cluster is likely around 1.3 million years old, though earlier estimates found it to be as young as just 100 000 years old. Because of its youth, the cluster is still deeply embedded within the dusty clouds of the Treasure Chest. The individual stars in the cluster are wrapped up in dust as well; astronomers have found evidence that many of these stars are surrounded by circumstellar discs. Over time, the brilliant starlight from these young stars will dissipate the surrounding cloud and reveal the entire cluster.
The key to the Treasure Chest’s sculptural shape lies outside this image: just 39 light-years to the northwest, as measured on the sky, sits Eta Carinae, the most luminous object in the entire Carina Nebula. Eta Carinae is a star system containing at least two stars, one of which is 100 times as massive as the Sun. This star alone is about 5 million times as luminous as the Sun. Adding to this intense radiation is the nearby star cluster Trumpler 16, which also contains several extremely hot massive stars.
With Webb, astronomers have carried out an observing programme (#5408; PI: Reiter) dedicated to studying how young stars in the Carina Nebula collect gas from their surroundings and expel it through outflows.
[Image Description: A region of space filled with bright stars and clouds of gas. In the centre, the densest clouds form the shape of a chest with its lid open. The chest appears to glow from within. At its base it breaks apart into long pillars of thick gas. Many of the gas clouds in the background are dark orange globules, while others form large, pale hazes. A few brightly shining stars lie in the foreground, the biggest and brightest in front of the chest’s lid.]
Relative severity of biomass loss from Europe’s forests
One-sided spiral
One-sided spiralSmoke plume from Greek wildfires seen by Sentinel-3
Smoke plume from Greek wildfires seen by Sentinel-3The journey of Sophie Adenot's bonus food
What does it take to send gourmet food to the International Space Station? Follow ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot's bonus menu from a French kitchen to orbit, where chefs, engineers and food specialists work together to transform traditional recipes into meals that are safe for spaceflight, while preserving the flavours, memories and moments of sharing that make them special.
Ready. Set. Spacewalk
This timelapse was published on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot with the following caption:
[English] Day 167 orbit 2587 — Movies sometimes make it look easy to put on a spacesuit and head outside the spaceship. In reality, getting two astronauts and their spacesuits ready for the vastly hostile environment just beyond the Station takes a looooong time. It requires hours of carefully rehearsed procedures, precise gestures, and endless checks to make sure everything is ready before the hatch opens.
For this EVA-95, I had the privilege of leading the intravehicular (IV) operations, and I couldn't be happier of how well we worked together. While strictly following all procedures, we still managed to get Jessica and Chris into the airlock about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. That may not sound like much, but for the crew members in the suit, it’s 30 minutes of energy saved for the EVA marathon ahead, a huge advantage!
Next EVA on August 6! As usual, you can watch it live on the NASA website or on their YouTube channel.
[French] Jour 167, orbite 2587 – C’est si facile dans les films d’enfiler un scaphandre et de sortir du vaisseau spatial… Dans la vraie vie, préparer deux astronautes et leurs scaphandres à affronter l’environnement extrêmement hostile qui règne juste à l’extérieur de la Station prend un trèèèès long moment. Des heures de procédures soigneusement répétées, de gestes précis et de vérifications pour s’assurer que tout est prêt avant l’ouverture de l’écoutille.
Pour cette EVA-95, j’avais la joie de diriger les opérations intravéhiculaires, et nous avons formé une équipe super efficace. Tout en suivant strictement toutes les procédures, Jessica et Chris étaient dans le sas, prêts à sortir, avec 30 minutes d’avance. 30 minutes, ce n’est pas grand chose, mais pour les membres d’équipage dans le scaphandre, c’est toujours 30 minutes d’énergie économisée pour le marathon que représente une EVA !
Prochaine sortie extravéhiculaire le 6 août! Elle sera comme d’habitude retransmise en direct par la NASA sur leur site et sur leur chaîne YouTube.
Storm pre-burner hot-firing
The Exploration Company is developing Storm, a full-flow staged combustion engine. This video shows elements of the pre-burner hot-fire test campaign at German Aerospace Center, DLR, facilities in Lampholdshausen, Germany.
Ten hot-fire tests on the DLR P8 test bench were conducted using The Exploration Company’s subscale pre-burner demonstrator, for Storm’s full-flow staged combustion cycle. The test campaign accumulated 588 seconds of oxygen-rich hot-fire testing, with individual runs exceeding 100 seconds.
The results demonstrated stable combustion, validated injector design models, verified the system's performance beyond nominal operating conditions and provided engineering data to support Storm's continued development.
The test campaign was conducted within a contract from the European Space Agency, as part of the Technologies for High-thrust Re-Usable Space Transportation initiative, ‘Thrust!’.
Cozy evening time
This video was published on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot with the following caption:
[English] Day 169, orbit 2618 — Cozy evening time in my crew cabin — something I’m definitely going to miss when I’m back on Earth… A few emails, a pouch of herbal tea, a few yin yoga stretches and then off to sleep!
[French] Jour 169, orbite 2618 – Moment cocooning du soir dans ma cabine de couchage, qui va me manquer une fois de retour sur Terre… Quelques emails, une tisane, des étirements de yin yoga et au lit !
How to safely watch a solar eclipse
[English]: A solar eclipse is an unforgettable sight, but only if you watch it safely!
ESA reserve astronaut Sara García Alonso shows you how to enjoy this incredible cosmic event using certified eclipse glasses and explains why ordinary sunglasses are not enough.
Learn what happens during the different stages of an eclipse, when it is safe to look up, and how to experience one of the greatest shows in the Solar System without risking your eyes.
[Spanish]: Un eclipse solar es un espectáculo inolvidable, ¡pero solo si lo observas de forma Segura!
El astronauta de reserva de la ESA Pablo Álvarez Fernández te explica cómo disfrutar de este increíble fenómeno cósmico utilizando gafas de eclipse certificadas y por qué unas gafas de sol normales no son suficientes.
Descubre qué ocurre durante las distintas fases de un eclipse, cuándo es seguro mirar al Sol y cómo disfrutar de uno de los mayores espectáculos del Sistema Solar sin poner en Riesgo tu vista.
Earth from Space: New Orleans and the mighty Mississippi
Pacific Ocean salinity June 2026
GEARS, monitoring antibiotic resistance in space
This timelapse was published on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot with the following caption:
[English] Day 165, orbit 2557 — GEARS (Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space) is another experiment making good use of the Life Sciences Glovebox, a sealed laboratory workspace where we can safely handle biological samples.
You've probably already heard about antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are a growing threat to human health on Earth and a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. The surfaces of the International Space Station have been monitored since 2000, and two common bacterial species found on board have shown resistance to antibiotics, as well as tolerance to desiccation, starvation and disinfection.
This could pose challenges during future long-duration exploration missions, when spaceflight-weakened immune systems may leave astronauts more vulnerable to infection while crews must rely on a limited supply of antibiotics carried on board.
But it also gives researchers a unique opportunity to study how these microorganisms survive and adapt in extreme environments… This knowledge could help safeguard astronaut health and improve healthcare here on Earth as well. Go science!
[French] Jour 165, orbite 2557 — L’expérience GEARS (pour Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space) met elle aussi à profit la boite à gants Life Sciences Glovebox, un espace de laboratoire fermé qui nous permet de manipuler des échantillons biologiques en toute sécurité.
Vous avez probablement déjà entendu parler des bactéries résistantes aux antibiotiques. Elles représentent une menace croissante pour la santé sur Terre et figurent parmi les principales causes d’infections nosocomiales. Les surfaces de la Station spatiale internationale sont sous surveillance depuis l’an 2000, et deux espèces bactériennes couramment présentes à bord ont montré une résistance aux antibiotiques, ainsi qu’une tolérance à la dessiccation, à la privation de nutriments et aux procédures de désinfection.
Il s’agit d’un défi supplémentaire à relever pour les futures missions d’exploration de longue durée. Le système immunitaire des astronautes, affaibli par le séjour dans l’espace, pourrait les rendre plus vulnérables aux infections, alors même que les équipages ne pourront compter que sur un stock limité d’antibiotiques...
Mais cette situation offre aussi aux chercheurs une occasion unique d’étudier comment ces micro-organismes survivent et s’adaptent à des environnements extrêmes – des connaissances qui pourraient contribuer à protéger la santé des astronautes, et améliorer les soins sur Terre. Vive la science !
Food Processor, a culinary robot in orbit
This video was published on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot with the following caption:
[English] Day 161, orbit 2497 — Cooking in space is sooooo joyful! It’s funny how little things, like gathering a mixing bowl and cooking supplies, can unlock all kind of memories – familiar gestures, smells and flavours. On Earth I sometimes wish I didn’t have to cook, but after months of ready-made meals (no matter how nutritious and tasty they are), the act of preparing a meal is a huge joyful experience!
In 2023, during his Huginn mission, Andreas was the first astronaut to use this culinary robot to prepare a chocolate mousse, which is quite challenging because of its airy texture. Food processor is a technology demonstrator: the goal is to show that preparing meals in microgravity is feasible, first using ingredients produced on Earth, and one day, with vegetables grown in space.
Congratulations to the French teams who did a fantastic job! Even before I started mixing the ingredients, the smell was tantalizing… The recipe, a Mediterranean Duo consisting of eggplant puree and hummus, tastes like a home-cooked meal made with fresh ingredients and aromatic herbs. It’s funny because whenever French gastronomy is on the menu, nobody’s late at the dinner table and everyone’s 150% delighted!
After four months in space, it’s clear to me that France has unique expertise in preparing meals that are both delicious and nutritious for space exploration. I hope the current partners will continue to showcase French gastronomy, and why not, take the lead in this area!
[French] Jour 161, orbite 2497 — Cuisiner dans l’espace, c’est un vrai moment de joie ! C’est drôle de voir à quel point de petites choses, comme sortir un bol mélangeur ou préparer des ingrédients, peuvent faire remonter tant de souvenirs – des gestes familiers, des odeurs et des saveurs qui rappellent la maison. Sur Terre, je n’ai pas toujours envie de cuisiner, mais après plusieurs mois de plats prêts à consommer (aussi bons et équilibrés soient-ils), le simple fait de préparer un repas procure un bonheur intense.
Le robot culinaire Food Processor a été utilisé pour la première fois par Andreas en 2023 pendant sa mission Huginn. Il avait préparé une mousse au chocolat, un défi de taille compte tenu de la texture souhaitée, légère et aérienne. Food Processor est avant tout un démonstrateur technologique : l’idée est de montrer qu’il est possible de préparer des repas en micropesanteur, d’abord avec des ingrédients venus de la Terre, puis, un jour, avec des légumes cultivés directement dans l’espace.
Un immense bravo aux équipes françaises qui ont développé cette technologie ! Avant même de commencer à mélanger les ingrédients, les arômes étaient déjà très prometteurs. Au menu : un Duo Méditerranéen, composé d’un caviar d’aubergine et d’un houmous. Le résultat ? Un goût de cuisine maison, avec des ingrédients frais et de délicieuses herbes aromatiques.
Il y a une chose qui me fait toujours sourire : lorsque la gastronomie française est au menu, personne tout le monde est à l’heure pour le repas et l’enthousiasme est 150% garanti !
Après quatre mois passés dans l’espace, il me paraît évident que la France possède un savoir-faire unique lorsqu’il s’agit de concevoir des repas à la fois savoureux, équilibrés et adaptés aux défis de l’exploration spatiale. J’espère que les partenaires engagés aujourd’hui continueront à faire rayonner cette la gastronomie française et à ouvrir la voie de la nutrition spatiale!
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