ESA Top Multimedia

Smile launch highlights

ESA’s Smile satellite launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on at 04:52 BST / 05:52 CEST (00:52 local time) on 19 May 2026.

Smile flew to space on Vega-C flight VV29. At 35 m tall, a Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and the rocket used three solid-propellant-powered stages to take Smile to orbit before the fourth liquid-propellant stage took over for a precise drop-off around Earth.Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Smile will use four science instruments to study how Earth responds to the solar wind from the Sun. In doing so, Smile will improve our understanding of solar storms, geomagnetic storms and the science of space weather.

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Earth views at night during the Lyrids meteor shower - εpsilon mission

Auroras, thunderstorms, and brightly lit cities streak across this nighttime timelapse captured by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot during the 2026 Lyrids meteor shower.

Soft landing for Mars

Replica of one of the landing legs of the Rosalind Franklin descent module during a drop test, filmed in slow motion.

To ensure a safe touchdown on the Red Planet, European engineers have been testing how the lander performs under different landing scenarios. In this case, a model leg is dropped onto a soft surface filled with powdery, Mars-like soil.

The lightweight leg is equipped with shock absorbers to withstand the impact, and replicates the structure and dimensions of those that will fly to Mars.

These legs are crucial for the safe landing of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission in 2030, alongside parachutes and engines that will slow the spacecraft’s descent onto Mars.

Landing sideways

A large boulder, a treacherous crater or a gust of wind could jeopardise a smooth landing on Mars. Before the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission launches for the Red Planet in 2028, a replica of the landing platform went through worst-case touchdown conditions – and survived.

Thinking of every possible landing scenario, European engineers dropped a full-scale model onto a sled to test its stability in case the spacecraft touched down at an angle. A magnetic sledge released the lander at varying speeds – up to four metres per second –on a platform tilted at 20 degrees.

In every test, the four legs of the descent module absorbed the impact.

These sled-based tests were the final series of the landing platform drop test campaign conducted at the ALTEC facilities in Turin, Italy.

“This campaign proves how robust the ExoMars landing system is. The tests delivered critical data on the platform’s stability under challenging conditions, and on the ability of its legs to cope with a harsh touchdown,” says Pietro Baglioni, ExoMars rover team leader for the Rosalind Franklin mission.

The campaign also demonstrated the performance of the touchdown sensors, a critical detection function that automatically shut downs the engines upon landing. Installed in all four legs of the descent module, the sensors detect when the spacecraft approaches the surface and trigger engine shutdown. If the sensors are too slow to communicate with the propulsion system, the rocket plumes could blast martian soil upwards, potentially damaging and overturning the spacecraft.  

“We want to make sure that we don’t tip over at landing. These results are fundamental to increasing confidence in the reliability of the ExoMars landing sequence,” Pietro adds.

Teams from Thales Alenia Space and Airbus are using the results from this campaign to feed computer models that simulate further landing scenarios on Mars. The Rosalind Franklin rover mission is set to arrive at the martian surface in 2030.

Preparing Smile for space

Before Smile can begin studying how Earth responds to the streams of particles and bursts of radiation from the Sun, the spacecraft had to complete an extraordinary journey here on Earth.

Follow the mission through its final launch preparations at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, from fuelling and encapsulation inside its protective fairing, to meeting the rest of the Vega-C rocket that will take it to space.

Smile is flying to space on Vega-C flight VV29. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and the rocket will take Smile to orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for a precise drop-off around Earth.

Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a joint European-Chinese mission to study the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic environment from a unique highly elliptical orbit. During the next three years, it will go high above the North Pole every two days to collect X-ray and ultraviolet images of Earth’s magnetic shield and the northern lights.

Exploring IV fluid production in space

In this timelapse, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is seen working inside the Life Science Glovebox of the Kibo laboratory module, as she explores ways to use the International Space Station’s potable water to produce medical‑grade intravenous fluids, such as saline solutions. The Intravenous Fluid Generation - Mini technology demonstration aims to reduce the crew’s reliance on cargo missions while preventing medical supplies from expiring during long‑duration spaceflight.

Earth Action: Information day 28 April 2026

This webinar introduces Earth Action, a pillar of the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Future Earth Observation (FutureEO) programme. It highlights upcoming opportunities for entities from participating Member States to take part and contribute to the ongoing activities.

Earth Action is ESA’s response to the urgent triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It’s activities aim to transform satellite data into decision-ready information and green solutions – to support science, inform action, and help build a sustainable and resilient future.

This webinar introduces Earth Action, a pillar of the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Future Earth Observation (FutureEO) programme.

Earth Action is ESA’s response to the urgent triple crisis of climate change….

Looking for Lyrids from Orbit

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

[English] Day 085, orbit 1316 — Did you know you can spot the International Space Station using only your eyes? From the ground, it looks like a very bright star moving across the sky at roughly the speed of a commercial airliner. But unlike an aircraft, it has no headlights or flashing navigation lights. Its brightness comes from the solar panels, which are positioned to catch sunlight and reflect it back towards Earth.

To find out when we’ll be passing overhead and where to look in the sky, check out spotthestation.nasa.gov… I won’t be able to see you, even if you wave very enthusiastically, but I’m thinking of you from up here!

[French] Jour 085, orbite 1316 — Saviez-vous que vous pouvez observer la Station spatiale internationale à l’oeil nu ? Depuis le sol, la Station apparaît comme une étoile très brillante qui traverse le ciel à peu près à la vitesse d’un avion de ligne. Mais contrairement à un avion, elle n’a ni phares, ni feux de position clignotants. Ce sont ses panneaux solaires, orientés pour recevoir la lumière du Soleil, qui la rendent si lumineuse lorsque vous la voyez depuis la Terre.

Pour savoir quand nous passons au-dessus de vos têtes et où nous chercher dans le ciel, rendez-vous sur le site spotthestation.nasa.gov… Je ne pourrai pas vous voir, même si vous faites de grands signes, mais je pense à vous depuis là-haut !

A Saturday‑night dinner onboard the International Space Station

After an intense few weeks the crew took time to celebrate together with a shared meal proposed by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot.

It’s a long‑standing tradition: each ESA astronaut works with a chef to create a few special dishes reserved for rare occasions — known as “bonus food”. Sophie’s bonus food was created by multi‑Michelin‑starred chef Anne‑Sophie Pic, offering the crew a taste of French gastronomy far from Earth.

Bonus food, tailored to specific crew members, makes up around one tenth of an astronaut’s menu. Astronauts say it adds variety to their meals, supports mental well‑being, and helps strengthen bonds among the crew in orbit.

Everyday operations in orbit: toilet maintenance

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.

Tidying up the Columbus module

This timelapse shows ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot tidying the European Columbus laboratory aboard the International Space Station. Keeping the Station organised is crucial for crew safety and smooth operations, ensuring that science and maintenance can continue without interruption.

Every item has its place, and as crews rotate every few months, ground teams play an important role in helping locate any item needed for an experiment or a maintenance task.

Behind the scenes: Filming in microgravity

During her free time onboard the International Space Station, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot records videos exploring many aspects of living and working in a microgravity environment for the εpsilon mission. This timelapse offers a real behind-the-scenes look at a filming session.

First-of-its-kind ship-to-ship call

The first‑of‑its‑kind ship‑to‑ship call between astronauts on deep‑space and low Earth orbit missions.On 7 April, the Artemis II crew of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, together with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, spoke with Expedition 74 astronauts Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir of NASA, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot aboard the International Space Station.

Cygnus NG-23 closeout

As this timelapse shows, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir worked together readying the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft for its detachment from the Unity module and release into Earth orbit with the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Sophie configured hardware that enabled Cygnus XL to be disconnected from Unity, then closed the spacecraft’s hatch. Jessica set up the equipment used to depressurize Cygnus XL in advance of its departure.

The cargo vehicle was detached on 12 March 2026 from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module and released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm at 14:06 CET.

Artemis II splashdown

Today, at 17:07 local time (Pacific) on 10 April (01:07 BST/02:07 CEST on 11 April), NASA's Orion spacecraft and its crew splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, marking the successful end of the Artemis II mission, humankind's first journey around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

ESA's European Service Module powered the spacecraft over 1 million kilometres through in deep space, providing air and water for the astronauts, generating electrical power via its four solar arrays, maintaining thermal control and delivering propulsion.

Mostly built by European industry under ESA leadership, the European Service Module was assembled by Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen, Germany, with contributions from companies across 13 European countries, involving 20 main contractors and over 100 European suppliers.

Throughout the mission, European engineers supported operations around the clock from ESA's centres in the Netherlands and Germany, as well as alongside NASA teams in Houston, ensuring Orion and its crew completed their journey safely around the Moon and back home.

Orion Mission Evaluation Room in Houston

European engineers in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

European Service Module mission control at ESTEC

European engineers in the Eagle mission control room at ESA's technical site in the Netherlands

US EVA-94 preparations

Expedition 74 crewmates and NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams conducted an EVA on 18 March to prepare the Station for the installation of another pair of iROSA solar panels.

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway supported the spacewalkers, helping them suit up and closing the hatch behind them – as this timelapse shows.

Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL): SMD PASTA experiment

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

[EN] Another experiment, and another timelapse! This time, I’m working with the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), one of the science facilities inside ESA’s Columbus module.

The experiment is called PASTA-3 and investigates the formation and evolution of emulsions over time when there is no gravity to interfere. Emulsions are mixtures of two or more liquids that do not usually mix, such as oil and water.

During this session, I installed 3 experiment containers with new samples inside the FSL. Each PASTA sample has a different concentration of surfactant (an agent that helps liquids mix) and Xanthan Gum in addition to a water and oil mixture.

This experiment helps scientists better understand and model the fundamental physics of emulsions. That knowledge has numerous applications on Earth, including:
improving food quality and shelf life (milk, dough, mayonnaise, candy…), enhancing the stability and effectiveness of medicines (including vaccines) and cosmetics, optimising processes in industrial and advanced manufacturing sectors (oil, chemicals …).

PASTA-3 is one of the 36 European experiments I get to work on during my mission! Go science!

(PASTA is short for PArticle STAbilised emulsions experiment.)

[FR] Nouvelle expérience, et nouveau timelapse ! Cette fois-ci, cela se passe dans le Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), l’une des installations scientifiques situées à l’intérieur du module Columbus de l’ESA.

L’expérience s’appelle PASTA 3 : elle étudie la formation et l’évolution des émulsions au fil du temps en l’absence de gravité. Une émulsion, c’est un mélange de deux ou plusieurs liquides qui ne se mélangent pas facilement, comme l’huile et l’eau.

Lors de cette session, j’ai installé trois lots de nouveaux échantillons dans le FSL. Chaque échantillon PASTA présente une concentration différente de tensioactif (un agent qui aide les liquides à se mélanger) et de gomme xanthane, en plus d’un mélange d’eau et d’huile.

Cette expérience aide les scientifiques à mieux comprendre et modéliser la physique fondamentale des émulsions avec à la clé de nombreuses applications sur Terre, comme par exemple:
l’amélioration de la qualité des aliments et de leur durée de conservation (lait, pâte, mayonnaise, confiseries…), le renforcement de la stabilité et de l’efficacité des médicaments (y compris les vaccins) et des cosmétiques, l’optimisation des procédés industriels et de fabrication avancée (pétrole, chimie…).

PASTA 3 est l’une des 36 expériences européennes sur lesquelles j’ai la chance de travailler durant ma mission ! Vive la science !

(PASTA est l’abréviation de PArticle STAbilised emulsions experiment.)

A European powerhouse

Orion's European Service Module with engines and solar arrays on display

Earthset from lunar orbit

Earth sets above the lunar horizon during Artemis II