ESA Top Multimedia

Meet Meganne Christian — With a PhD in industrial chemistry and hands-on experience in extreme environments, Meganne has tested graphene coatings in microgravity and led atmospheric research during winter-over missions at Concordia Station in Antarctica. Her career spans science, engineering and exploration — and now includes astronaut reserve training with ESA. 

In this miniseries, we take you on a journey through the ESA Astronaut Reserve, diving into the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany. Our “ARTists” are immersing themselves in everything from ESA and the International Space Station programme to the European space industry and institutions. They’re gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, alongside human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving and survival training. 

ESA’s Astronaut Reserve Training programme is all about building Europe’s next generation of space explorers—preparing them for the opportunities of future missions in Earth orbit and beyond.

This interview was recorded in February 2025.

You can listen to this episode on all major podcast platforms.

Keep exploring with ESA Explores!

IRIDE, which stands for International Report for an Innovative Defence of Earth, is an ambitious Italian Earth observation programme. It will provide information for a wide range of environmental, emergency and security products and services that will help public authorities to make decisions based on scientific data from space.

Coordinated by ESA with support from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the IRIDE programme involves the deployment of six satellite constellations. It is one of the most complex and comprehensive Earth observation satellite systems in the world. Each constellation carries specific satellite technology, from radar and optical to hyperspectral and multispectral instruments.

The overall IRIDE constellation is expected to be operational by June 2026.

2025 marks a landmark year for Europe’s ‘bridge between Earth and space’. The European Space Agency’s Estrack satellite tracking network turns 50.

Since its inception in 1975, Estrack – ESA’s global network of ground stations – has formed the vital communication bridge between satellites in orbit and mission control at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany.

Now comprising six stations spanning six countries, Estrack has grown into a strategic asset for Europe, enabling communication with spacecraft, transmitting commands and receiving scientific data.

The network keeps an eye on satellites no matter their location: tracking them across Earth orbit, voyaging to comets or asteroids, keeping station at the scientifically important Sun-Earth Lagrange points, and deep into our Solar System. It even keeps tabs on European launchers as they soar into orbit, ensuring no rocket is ever out of reach.

This year, ESA is also expanding its deep space communication capabilities with the construction of a new 35-metre deep space antenna – the fourth of its kind. It will be joining the existing one at New Norcia station, Australia, to help meet the Agency's fast increasing data download needs.

Access the related broadcast quality footage.

The intricate mechanisms of the most sophisticated laboratory on Mars are revealed in Episode 4 of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin series, called “Sample processing.” 

The Rosalind Franklin rover’s drill has a maximum reach of two metres – deeper than any other mission has ever attempted on the Red Planet. This depth allows access to well-preserved organic material from four billion years ago, when conditions on the surface of Mars were more like those on infant Earth. 

After receiving a sample from the drill, Rosalind’s laboratory must prepare the sample to make a detailed study of its mineral and chemical composition. The rover’s Analytical Laboratory Drawer (ALD) mechanisms execute a pre-programmed choreography of sample manipulations to make sure that the instruments can do their job.   

The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission is part of Europe’s ambitious exploration journey to search for past and present signs of life on Mars. 

For the latest mission updates, visit ESA’s ExoMars website and our FAQ section.

Access the related broadcast quality footage.

Space sustainability is becoming a defining principle for how space activities are designed, launched, operated, and governed.

It is essential for both securing the future of space missions and ensuring that the benefits of space continue to support life on Earth. It is also our responsibility to protect the environments we interact with – on Earth, in orbit, and on other celestial bodies such as the Moon.

With increasing launch rates, growing congestion in orbit, and expanding exploration missions, the space sector faces urgent sustainability challenges. These developments call for transformative approaches to reduce environmental impacts on Earth, use resources more efficiently in space, and manage waste responsibly beyond our planet.

This panel will not stop at highlighting the problems. The focus is on practical solutions. Representatives from a diverse group of space agencies will present concrete objectives and strategies designed to mitigate risks and enhance sustainability. Topics will include climate impacts, the protection of dark and quiet skies, and the mitigation of orbital debris, all viewed through the lenses of technological innovation, international cooperation, and regulatory development. Key questions to be explored include:

• How are space agencies integrating sustainability into their strategies and missions?
• In what ways do priorities vary across regions, and what can we learn from these different approaches?
• Which initiatives are already being implemented to support responsible and long-term space activities?

Featuring perspectives from the European Space Agency, Australian Space Agency, NASA, Korea Space Agency, and Philippine Space Agency, this panel aims to encourage meaningful action toward a sustainable space sector – one that remains accessible, safe, and beneficial for future generations.

Event Facilitator & Speakers

Facilitator:

• Heriberto SALDIVAR
  • Head of Strategy, European Space Agency (ESA)
  • France

Speakers:

• Josef ASCHBACHER
  • Director General, European Space Agency (ESA)
  • France
• Alvin DREW
  • Director for NASA Space Sustainability, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • United States
• Gay Jane P. PEREZ
  • Deputy Director General for Space Science and Technology, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA)
  • Philippines
• Enrico PALERMO
  • Head, Australian Space Agency
  • Australia

All IAC 2025 videos.