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The Aurora Australis, photographed over Concordia station in July 2025, during the ongoing solar activity maximum, the peak of the Sun's 11-year cycle. 

This dazzling light show appears when charged particles from the Sun are guided by Earth’s magnetic field towards the polar regions, where they collide with gases in the upper atmosphere and create shimmering waves of colour dancing across the sky. 

Concordia station, perched high on Antarctica’s Dome C plateau, is one of the most remote research outposts on Earth. On 4 May this year, the Sun set below the horizon and only returned on 10 August. During this four-month polar winter, the station's crew experienced continuous darkness and glacial temperatures plummeting to –80°C. 

This frozen, silent world is an analogue for space missions, with the isolation, extreme cold, lack of sunlight and distance from emergency support mirroring the challenges astronauts will face on long-duration missions. 

Each year, ESA sponsors a medical doctor to live and work at Concordia station for a full winterover, conducting research into how the human body and mind adapt to these conditions. This year, Dr Nina Purvis from the United Kingdom has joined the DC21 crew – the 21st team to winterover at the station – to carry out biomedical studies on herself and her crewmates to help prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars. 

Follow Nina’s updates from the station and read more stories from past ESA-sponsored doctors on our Concordia blog.  

The ESTEC Open Days 2025. Registrations open soon. Registration for the Open Day on 11 October opens on 18 August. Registration for the Open Day on 12 October opens on 8 September.

The development of ESA’s Earth Explorer FLEX mission has recently passed a significant milestone: the mission’s all-important, single instrument  has been joined to its satellite platform. The video shows this delicate operation, which was carried out by spacecraft engineers at Thales Alenia Space in Cannes, France, following the delivery of the instrument from Leonardo in Florence, Italy.

FLEX’s fluorescence imaging spectrometer is called FLORIS for short and designed to map vegetation fluorescence around the globe and quantify photosynthetic activity and plant stress.

Photosynthesis is one of the most fundamental processes on Earth – essential for sustaining life. Most people know it as the mechanism that allows plants to grow by consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. However, few may realise that as plants photosynthesise, they also emit a very faint fluorescence signal. Importantly, the signal, which is invisible to the naked eye, varies according to environmental conditions and the health of the plant – and can be used to assess plant health and stress.

With its FLORIS instrument, the FLEX mission will detect and measure this faint glow from space to offer better insight into plant health.

As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space led the satellite platform assembly, integration and test campaign, which took place in Thales’ cleanroom in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Now that the platform and the FLORIS instrument have been integrated in Cannes, the next step is to carry out a final series of tests ahead of the launch scheduled in 2026.

Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission –  has launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 13 August at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).

MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.

This new weather satellite also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission to deliver daily global data on air pollutants and atmospheric trace gases as well as aerosols and ultraviolet radiation.

MetOp-SG-A1 travelled onboard the Canopée ship. Our teams at the European spaceport in French Guiana have been quite busy making sure both the rocket and the payloads are ready for flight VA264.

Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts Copernicus Sentinel-5 as part of its instrument package – is set for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on August 2025.

MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.

MetOp-SG-A1, carries six instruments: a next-generation infrared atmospheric sounder, a microwave sounder, a multispectral imaging radiometer, a novel multiviewing, multichannel, multipolarisation imager, a radio occultation sounder (which is also embarked on the MetOp-SG-B satellites), and the European Commission’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 spectrometer.

Building on the success of the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, the new Copernicus Sentinel-5 introduces an advanced imaging spectrometer. The first of these cutting-edge instruments, Sentinel-5A, is integrated into MetOp-SG-A1, and will work in synergy with other onboard instruments.

The missions will launch on an Ariane 6 with two boosters. Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy launcher and a key element of ESA’s efforts to ensure autonomous access to space for Europe’s citizens. Its modular and versatile design allows it to launch all missions from low-Earth orbit into deep space. Standing over 60 metres tall, Ariane 6 can weigh almost 900 tonnes when launched with a full payload.

Experience the preparation of the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite, hosting Copernicus Sentinel-5, scheduled for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 August 2025 at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time). This timelapse video captures key stages from the encapsulation within the Ariane 6 fairing to the installation in the launch tower.

MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.

This new weather satellite also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission to deliver daily global data on air pollutants and atmospheric trace gases as well as aerosols and ultraviolet radiation.

This 3-panel image captures the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s observational search for a planet around the nearest Sun-like star, Alpha Centauri A.

The initial image shows the bright glare of Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, then the middle panel shows the system with a coronagraphic mask placed over Alpha Centauri A to block its bright glare. However, the way the light bends around the edges of the coronagraph creates ripples of light in the surrounding space. The telescope’s optics (its mirrors and support structures) cause some light to interfere with itself, producing circular and spoke-like patterns.

These complex light patterns, along with light from the nearby Alpha Centauri B, make it incredibly difficult to spot faint planets. In the panel at the right, astronomers have subtracted the known patterns (using reference images and algorithms) to clean up the image and reveal faint sources like the candidate planet.

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[Image description: Three panels, each showing a different view of the binary star system Alpha Centauri from the Webb. The left panel shows a rectangular image tilted at a 45 degree angle outlined in white on a grey background. The image is a blown-out bright source at the center, with 8, double columned reddish white diffraction spikes. The center of this bright source is outlined with a vertical box, tilted slightly to the left, with two diagonal lines leading to the second panel. This shows a view of both Alpha Centauri A at the bottom and Alpha Centauri B at the top, both with orange star icons over each star. The star icons are surrounded by mottled red and white blotches. The bottom star is outlined with a white square with two diagonal lines leading to the third panel. Within a large white circle there is a blurry red-toned field with an orange star icon and central black circle outlined in white marking the location of Alpha Cen A. A bright orange blob at 9 o’clock in relation to the star is labeled “S1” and circled.]

ESA astronaut Raphaël Liégeois from Belgium, a member of the ESA Astronaut Class of 2022, was selected in November 2022 from over 22,500 candidates who applied to ESA’s 2021 call for new astronauts.

He began his year-long basic astronaut training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, in April 2023. This training covered spacecraft systems, spacewalking, flight engineering, robotics, life support systems, survival, and medical training. Raphaël received his astronaut certification alongside fellow astronaut candidates Sophie Adenot, Rosemary Coogan, Pablo Álvarez Fernández, and Marco Sieber at EAC on 22 April 2024, officially marking his transition into a fully-fledged astronaut. 

In June 2024, Raphaël was announced for his first spaceflight mission, currently scheduled for 2026 to the International Space Station. After completing his pre-assignment training, he is now in mission-specific preparation, focusing on the tasks and experiments he will perform during his stay on the Space Station.

French:

L’astronaute de l’ESA Raphaël Liégeois, originaire de Belgique, est membre de la promotion 2022 des astronautes de l’ESA. Il a été sélectionné en novembre 2022 parmi plus de 22 500 candidats ayant répondu à l’appel à candidatures lancé par l’ESA en 2021.

Il a débuté sa formation de base d’un an au Centre européen des astronautes (EAC) de l’ESA à Cologne, en Allemagne, en avril 2023. Cette formation couvrait les systèmes spatiaux, les sorties extravéhiculaires, l’ingénierie de vol, la robotique, les systèmes de survie, les techniques de survie et la formation médicale. Raphaël a obtenu sa certification d’astronaute aux côtés de ses camarades Sophie Adenot, Rosemary Coogan, Pablo Álvarez Fernández et Marco Sieber à l’EAC le 22 avril 2024, marquant officiellement son passage au statut d’astronaute confirmé.

En juin 2024, Raphaël a été annoncé pour sa première mission spatiale, actuellement prévue pour 2026 à destination de la Station spatiale internationale. Après avoir terminé sa formation de pré-affectation, il est désormais en préparation spécifique à la mission, axée sur les tâches et les expériences qu’il mènera lors de son séjour à bord de la Station.

Dutch:

ESA-astronaut Raphaël Liégeois uit België maakt deel uit van de ESA-astronautenklas van 2022. Hij werd in november 2022 geselecteerd uit meer dan 22.500 kandidaten die reageerden op ESA's oproep voor nieuwe astronauten in 2021.

In april 2023 begon hij aan zijn eenjarige basisopleiding tot astronaut bij het European Astronaut Centre (EAC) van ESA in Keulen, Duitsland. De opleiding ging over ruimtevaartsystemen, ruimtewandelingen, vluchtoperaties, robotica, levensondersteunende systemen, overlevingstechnieken en medische training. Raphaël behaalde zijn astronautencertificaat samen met zijn collega’s Sophie Adenot, Rosemary Coogan, Pablo Álvarez Fernández en Marco Sieber op 22 april 2024 aan het EAC, waarmee hij officieel erkend werd als volwaardig astronaut.

In juni 2024 werd Raphaëls eerste ruimtevlucht aangekondigd, momenteel gepland voor 2026 naar het Internationaal Ruimtestation. Na zijn geavanceerde training, is hij nu in specifieke missievoorbereiding, gericht op de taken en experimenten die hij zal uitvoeren tijdens zijn verblijf in het ruimtestation.

German:

Der belgische ESA-Astronaut Raphaël Liégeois gehört zur Astronautenklasse 2022 der ESA. Er wurde im November 2022 aus über 22.500 Bewerberinnen und Bewerbern ausgewählt, die sich auf den Aufruf der ESA zur Astronautenbewerbung im Jahr 2021 gemeldet hatten.

Im April 2023 begann er seine einjährige Basisausbildung zum Astronauten am Europäischen Astronautenzentrum (EAC) der ESA in Köln, Deutschland. Diese Ausbildung umfasste Raumfahrtsysteme, Außenbordeinsätze, Flugtechnik, Robotik, Lebenserhaltungssysteme, Überlebenstraining und medizinische Schulungen. Am 22. April 2024 erhielt Raphaël gemeinsam mit seinen Kolleginnen und Kollegen Sophie Adenot, Rosemary Coogan, Pablo Álvarez Fernández und Marco Sieber am EAC sein Astronautenzertifikat – ein offizieller Schritt zum vollwertigen Astronauten.

Im Juni 2024 wurde Raphaël für seine erste Raumfahrtmission angekündigt, die derzeit für 2026 zur Internationalen Raumstation geplant ist. Nach Abschluss seines Pre-Assignment-Trainings befindet er sich nun in der missionsspezifischen Vorbereitung und konzentriert sich auf die Aufgaben und Experimente, die er während seines Aufenthalts auf der Raumstation durchführen wird.

This video combines all of the observations of asteroid (1126) Otero made by ESA’s Hera spacecraft. The raw images have been processed and aligned. They were acquired on 11 May 2025, while Hera was 2.8 million km from the asteroid. The spacecraft tracked Otero for approximately three hours, capturing an image every six minutes.

The asteroid’s large size and good illumination meant that, even from this distance, it appeared bright enough for Hera’s Asteroid Framing Camera to detect. Hera’s destination, the asteroid Didymos, will appear at least six times fainter than this when it is first detected by the spacecraft in late 2026.

Otero was discovered in 1929 at Heidelberg Observatory in Germany. Almost a century later, it has been observed using a camera manufactured by German company Jenoptik onboard a spacecraft controlled from the city of Darmstadt, less than 60 km from Heidelberg.

Access the related broadcast quality footage.