European Space Agency
The European Space Agency is an intergovernmental organization of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space. Established in 1975 and headquartered in Paris, ESA has a worldwide staff of about 2,200
2,442 topics in this forum
-
- 0 replies
- 231 views
A new investigation by an international team of astronomers using data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide. The discovery adds to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 198 views
Video: 00:00:14 In a significant leap forward for meteorology, the preliminary data obtained by Meteosat Third Generation’s two instruments, the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and the Lightning Imager (LI), were successfully combined today for the first time – highlighting their complementary capabilities. This first set of animations gives us a preview of the system’s future impact. This animation shows the combined observations from the Meteosat Third Generation’s instruments starting at 12:00 UTC on 03 June 2023 and ending at 12:00 UTC of 04 June 2023. Lightning activity is more intense over central Africa, the northern part of South America, Europe and the Mid…
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 238 views
ESA satnav receiver vans – driving between the busy heart of Rotterdam, quiet countryside, and the Agency’s ESTEC technical centre – have confirmed that Galileo signals now provide a first position fix more rapidly, while also offering improved robustness in challenging environments and streamlined access to time information. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 212 views
ESA is testing kombucha cultures, famous for their fermentative properties and potential health benefits, to assess their resilience in space. These cultures hold great promise for supporting humans on the Moon and Mars. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 249 views
Week in images: 04-08 September 2023 Discover our week through the lens View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 223 views
Image: ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański from Poland inside the Columbus mockup at EAC. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
As of 1 September 2023, Sławosz Uznański joined ESA as a project astronaut anticipating flying on a future space mission. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 231 views
Image: Artificial star View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 168 views
ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will film thunderstorms and lightning shooting up towards space as part of the climate science of the Huginn mission. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 186 views
Image: X-ray mission lifts off to study high-energy Universe View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 216 views
Scientists have used Solar Orbiter’s EUI camera in a new mode of operation to record part of the Sun’s atmosphere at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths that has been almost impossible to image until now. This new mode of operation was made possible with a last-minute ‘hack’ to the camera and will almost certainly influence new solar instruments for future missions. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 175 views
Video: 00:01:07 On 5 September 2023, teams from France’s space agency CNES and Arianegroup under the lead of ESA carried out a complete Ariane 6 launch sequence on its launch pad at Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. The test ended with a hot-fire of the launcher’s core stage and startup of the Vulcain 2.1 engine. This is a key step in the test campaign. It follows from initial integration of the Ariane 6 launcher on its launch pad, electrical and fluid system tests and the first launch sequence test run on 18 July 2023. This test involved a launch sequence and final countdown representative of a launch, including removal of the Ariane 6 mobile gantry and fillin…
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 175 views
View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 184 views
View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 225 views
As quantum technology continues to shape our future, quantum entanglement remains a crucial element in unlocking valuable space applications, but how robust is it? View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 222 views
Take your chance to meet astronauts, view spacecraft and peer behind the scenes of Europe’s space adventure at our ESA Open Day at ESTEC in the Netherlands on Sunday 8 October. Registration is now open. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 294 views
Video: 01:00:57 Watch the replay of the media briefing and the question-and-answer session outlining the progress achieved and the upcoming steps in the Ariane 6 development test campaign. Updates are given on tests conducted at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, and at the German Aerospace Center DLR’s technical centre in Lampoldshausen, Germany. The briefing was held on 4 September 2023 from ESA’s Headquarters in Paris, France. Participants included: Josef Aschbacher, Director General, ESA Martin Sion, CEO, ArianeGroup Philippe Baptiste, Chairman and CEO, CNES Stéphane Israël, CEO, Arianespace Toni Tolker-Nielsen, Director of Space Transportation, ESA …
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 327 views
Video: 00:01:01 On 1 September 2023 ESA’s all-new Ariane 6 launch vehicle fired its two upper stage engines to simulate the way they will have to operate together at German aerospace agency DLR’s engine test centre in Lampoldshausen, Germany. The test – of the new Vinci engine and a smaller Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) – took place on a purpose-built test bench. Vinci, the upper stage engine of Ariane 6 fed by liquid hydrogen and oxygen, can be stopped and restarted multiple times – to place satellites into different orbits and then de-orbit the upper stage, so it is not left behind as hazardous debris in space. The APU makes it possible for Vinci to restart in spa…
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 277 views
Validation testing continues for ESA’s all-new Ariane 6 launch vehicle, with firing of its two upper stage engines to simulate the way they will have to operate together during a flight. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 302 views
Week in images: 28 August - 01 September 2023 Discover our week through the lens View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 193 views
Image: Hera asteroid mission here View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 315 views
View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 399 views
During his Huginn mission, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will run two experiments focusing on sleeping in space: Circadian Light and Sleep in Orbit. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 277 views
Image: Chasing Chandrayaan and the super blue Moon View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 185 views
Video: 00:05:10 Space exploration presents unique health challenges for astronauts due to lack of gravity, isolation, and radiation exposure. ESA's SciSpacE activities aim to comprehend these effects and their implications for human well-being during extended missions. ESA collaborates with researchers to conduct experiments in microgravity and analogue environments, shedding light on the consequences of space stressors. One critical concern is muscle and bone atrophy. Despite daily exercise routines, astronauts face deterioration. ESA is investigating electrical stimulation as a potential countermeasure, with tests planned on board the International Space Station…
Last reply by European Space Agency,