ESA Top Multimedia
ESA Academy’s Navigation Training Course
From 22-26 June 2026, 30 university students from Europe and Canada came together at the European Space Agency (ESA) Academy’s Training and Learning Facility in Belgium to explore the fundamentals of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). This annual course prepares the next generation of navigation professionals with lectures from experts and hands-on exercises where students can apply their new knowledge. In this video, students and lecturers from the 2026 edition of the training course talk about the importance of satellite navigation, including Europe’s Galileo system, in their own words.
ESA’s Mars Express meets NASA’s Psyche
European Service Module team meets Artemis II crew
From left to right, NASA astronauts Chrstina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, with ESA's European Service Module team behind them at ESTEC.Earth from Space: Guinea-Bissau
This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features part of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in western Africa.Beta Pictoris system (NIRSpec IFU image and spectrum)
Beta Pictoris system (NIRSpec IFU image and spectrum)Our Sun, Solar Orbiter, and listening to solar fireworks – Expedition Sound episode 1
Guided by a sonification created with data from ESA's Solar Orbiter mission, we explore some of the mysteries of our Sun, how Solar Orbiter is studying them, and how sound can make astronomy more accessible.
In this episode of Expedition Sound, we set off on our first journey of this podcast series and travel to the Sun – our familiar, friendly neighbourhood star.
Along the way, we meet one of Solar Orbiter’s project scientist Miho Janvier, who helps us uncover the science behind solar flares, the solar cycle, and the mysteries that scientists are still trying to solve about the Sun. We also hear from Nic Bonne, a blind astronomer and science communicator at the University of Portsmouth, about how sonification can open new doors to astronomy and create richer ways for everyone to experience the Universe.
Hosted by Zsófi Szalavári
Check out the sonification here.
Learn more about ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission.
Learn more about ESA’s Smile mission.
Find out more about Nic Bonne’s Tactile Universe project.
Many thanks to Klaus Nielsen (DTU Space / Maple Pools) for making the sonification in this episode. If you would like to hear more sonifications and music by this artist, please visit: https://linktr.ee/maplepools
Original theme music produced by Marci Szalavári.
Read more about the podcast here.
Test firing at brand new green chemical propulsion lab
Test firing at brand new green chemical propulsion labReplay of the online media briefing on the total solar eclipse
ESA experts explain the science of eclipses, including visibility and key opportunities for scientific observation.
Mars Express spies metallic waves in Mars’s ancient highlands
Artemis II astronauts visit ESA
Artemis II astronauts visit the ESA workforce at ESTEC in the Netherlands.Hubble discovers first of star cluster’s missing black holes
Omega CentauriAMAT Team at ESA’s ESOC
Meet the team behind ESA’s AMAT (Advanced Mission Analysis Tools) project.His Majesty King Charles III meets ESA representatives at the Harwell campus
His Majesty King Charles III visited the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire on 10 July to launch a new initiative designed to shape the future of the space and defence economy. Located adjacent to the European Space Agency’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), the Space and Defence Gateway was officially opened by His Majesty at an event attended by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and other senior representatives from ESA, the UK Government and the Harwell Campus.
This photo features His Majesty being greeted by Josef Aschbacher; UK members of ESA’s astronaut reserve Meganne Christian and John McFall; UK ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan; and Barbara Ghinelli, Director of Innovation Clusters, Harwell Campus, UKRI-STFC, and founder of the UK Space and Defence Gateway.
The visit provided an opportunity for Josef Aschbacher to present His Majesty with a Union Flag that spent nearly a year aboard the International Space Station.
8 things to know about this year’s solar eclipse
From the path of totality and the spectacular Baily's beads to why this eclipse will be especially beautiful at sunset, discover what makes the 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse so special.
Featuring ESA Reserve Astronaut Sara García Alonso and ESA Astronaut Candidate Pablo Álvarez Fernández.
Spanish
Aquí presentamos 9 cosas que debes saber sobre el eclipse solar total de este año.
Desde la franja de totalidad y las espectaculares perlas de Baily hasta qué hará este eclipse aún más especial al atardecer, descubre por qué el eclipse solar total del 12 de Agosto 2026 será tan único!
Con Sara García Alonso, astronauta de reserva de la ESA, y Pablo Álvarez Fernández, astronauta de la ESA en formación.
Earth from Space: Great Bear Lake, Canada
BepiColombo Mercury arrival phase mission control team
On 1 June 2026, the BepiColombo mission control team across ESA, JAXA and industry met at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) to kick off the simulations campaign in preparation for the Mercury arrival phase. Throughout the campaign, this team of teams will rehearse the key separation steps that comprise arrival: MTM separation, Mercury orbit insertion, MPO-Mio separation, and MOSIF sunshield separation.
Interferograms of Scar Inlet Ice Shelf in 1995 compared to 2026
The hidden flow
Veggie: Growing plants for science
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 !
Checkout and activation of E4D
Following its arrival on board the International Space Station, Sophie completed the checkout and activation of 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.
Sophie's first rowing session on E4D
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.
ESA’s first dedicated chemical propulsion laboratory opens
ESA’s first dedicated green propulsion test facility is now operational The Chemical Propulsion Laboratory (CPL) facility has been built for ESA, academia and industry use. It is dedicated to propulsion technologies for small satellites and small missions rather than large rocket engines. It will provide accessible rapid-turnaround testing and make specialist test infrastructure accessible to SMEs and academia. CPL is there to de-risk small propulsion developments and speed progress to the next stage. The facility is operated through an ESA–NLR collaboration.
First light from the Hellenic Fire System
Centaurus A (MIRI and NIRCam image)
This combined view of Centaurus A from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope pairs observations from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Webb’s infrared vision exposes a warped disk of gas and dust left behind by a collision with another galaxy billions of years ago.
What may first appear as a grainy glow is actually a dense field of millions of individually resolved stars. By distinguishing different generations of stars embedded throughout the dusty centre, Webb gives astronomers new clues to the galaxy’s history and the processes that continue to shape it.
[Image description: A diagonal image of the galaxy Centaurus A stretches from the upper left to the lower right against a deep black background filled with countless tiny orange, blue, and white points of light. The galaxy is brightest at its centre with a white glowing core. A broad band of golden-orange dust cuts across the middle of the galaxy, forming a distinctive parallelogram shape. The dust in this feature is richly textured, with mottled patches, bright knots, and intricate filaments throughout. Just above the centre, delicate peach-coloured ribbons trace an S-shaped structure. Rather than appearing smooth, the galaxy has a finely speckled texture created by millions of individually resolved stars, which fill the central regions and extend into the surrounding glow. The galaxy’s outer edges dissolve into diffuse, cloud-like plumes with feathery textures that stretch beyond the dust lane. Against the surrounding darkness, several bright foreground stars display Webb’s distinctive diffraction spikes.]
Quasars discovered by Euclid
Quasars discovered by EuclidEuclid discovers the most ancient quasars in the Universe
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.
The most spectacular aurora of the εpsilon mission (so far!)
This timelapse was published on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot with the following caption:
Day 139, orbit 2155 — After the pictures (available in HD on my Flickr account), I'm so happy to finally share the timelapse of the most spectacular aurora of the εpsilon mission so far!
Watching this glowing green ribbon shimmer and dance, it's easy to lose yourself completely in the magic of the moment. Turn the sound on for the full experience – the music was carefully chosen to bring you as close as possible to what I felt watching this from space .
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Jour 139, orbite 2155 – Après les photos (disponibles en HD sur mon compte Flickr), je suis très heureuse de pouvoir enfin partager avec vous le timelapse de l’aurore la plus spectaculaire (jusqu’à présent !) de la mission εpsilon !
Difficile de ne pas céder à la magie de l’instant en regardant ce ruban de lumière verte onduler et danser sous nos yeux... Activez le son pour vivre pleinement l’expérience : la musique a été choisie avec soin pour évoquer les émotions que j’ai ressenties en admirant ce spectacle depuis l’espace
Earth from Space: Grand Canyon, US
3D-printed metal
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 !
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