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
2,684 topics in this forum
-
- 0 replies
- 104 views
Video: 00:02:40 The third Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite, Sentinel-1C, has launched aboard a Vega-C rocket, flight VV25, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 5 December 2024 at 22:20 CET (18:20 local time). Sentinel-1C extends the legacy of its predecessors, delivering high-resolution radar imagery to monitor Earth’s changing environment, supporting a diverse range of applications and advance scientific research. Additionally, Sentinel-1C introduces new capabilities for detecting and monitoring maritime traffic. The launch also marks Vega-C’s ‘return to flight’, a key step in restoring Europe’s independent access to space. Vega-C is …
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 116 views
Today, ESA’s powerful X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton, celebrates 25 years in space. From planets to black holes, the space telescope has delivered many ground-breaking observations of a variety of celestial objects. And the mission is still going strong as recent results testify. We take a look at five fascinating discoveries from the last five years. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 91 views
Video: 00:01:21 Proba-3 lifted off on its PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Thursday, 5 December, at 11:34 CET (10:34 GMT, 16:04 local time). The mission was launched using this Indian launcher because it needed to be placed in a highly elliptical orbit extending more than 60 500 km from the ground. After integration and testing was completed at Redwire Space in Belgium, Proba-3 was transported to India to be prepared for launch. The latest member of ESA’s family of in-orbit demonstration missions, Proba-3 is in fact two spacecraft being launched together, which will separate in orbit to begin performing precise formation fly…
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 96 views
Video: 00:02:27 ESA’s Proba-3 mission lifted off on its PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Thursday, 5 December, at 11:34 CET (10:34 GMT, 16:04 local time). View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 98 views
A pair of spacecraft were launched together today from India with the potential to change the nature of future space missions. ESA’s twin Proba-3 platforms will perform precise formation flying down to a single millimetre, as if they were one single giant spacecraft. To demonstrate their degree of control, the pair will produce artificial solar eclipses in orbit, giving prolonged views of the Sun’s ghostly surrounding atmosphere, the corona. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 332 views
View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 385 views
Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers have found new galaxies in the Spiderweb protocluster. Their characteristics reveal that new galaxies are forming in these large cosmic cities, with the finding that gravitational interactions in these dense regions are not as important as previously thought. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 794 views
Video: 00:09:01 Proba-3 is such an ambitious mission that it needs more than one single spacecraft to succeed. In order for Proba-3’s Coronagraph spacecraft to observe the Sun’s faint surrounding atmosphere, its disk-bearing Occulter spacecraft must block out the fiery solar disk. This means Proba-3’s Occulter ends up facing the Sun continuously, making it a valuable platform for science in its own right. Proba-3 is scheduled for launch on a PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Wednesday, 4 December, at 11:38 CET (10:38 GMT, 16:08 local time). View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 240 views
ESA’s Proba-3 will be the first mission to create an artificial total solar eclipse by flying a pair of satellites 150 metres apart. For six hours at a time, it will be able to see the Sun’s faint atmosphere, the corona, in the hard-to-observe region between the Sun’s edge and 1.4 million kilometres from its surface. This new technology combined with the satellite pair’s unique extended orbit around Earth will allow Proba-3 to do important science, revealing secrets of the Sun, space weather and Earth’s radiation belts. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 102 views
Video: 00:02:39 The Ignis mission, named after the Latin word for ‘fire,’ symbolises the spark igniting a new era in Poland’s space endeavours. The central motif of the patch features an eagle – a reference to the emblem of Poland – in white and red, reflecting the colours and design of the Polish national flag. Its tail gracefully evokes a flame, while its outstretched wings trace the contours of the Orla Perć mountain range in the Polish Tatra Mountains. Within the mission’s name, the second ‘i’ takes the form of the International Space Station. Above it, stars converge to form the Scutum constellation, paying homage to astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-87)…
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 883 views
Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in bringing 5G technology to space, marking a pivotal moment in telecommunications history. The 5G Infrastructure Study (5G-IS), funded by ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate, has mapped out how satellites can deliver reliable 5G connectivity worldwide. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 132 views
A mesmerising audiovisual experience from trip-hop collective Massive Attack that blends an original score with stunning satellite images of Earth was enjoyed by thousands of climate enthusiasts in Liverpool. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 96 views
What’s harder than flying a single satellite in Earth orbit? Flying two – right beside each other, at proximities that would normally trigger collision avoidance manoeuvres. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 94 views
Image: BepiColombo's fifth Mercury flyby View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 107 views
The Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite is ready for liftoff! Tune in to ESA WebTV on 4 December from 22:00 CET to watch the satellite soar into space on a Vega-C rocket to be launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Sentinel-1C is scheduled to liftoff at 22:20 CET. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 324 views
Week in images: 25-29 November 2024 Discover our week through the lens View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 300 views
Image: A colourful patchwork of agricultural fields is pictured in this radar image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1 over southeastern Romania. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 505 views
ESA’s eclipse-making precise formation-flying mission is nearly ready for liftoff! Proba-3 is scheduled for launch on a PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Wednesday, 4 December, at 11:38 CET (10:38 GMT, 16:08 local time). View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 146 views
Video: 00:56:21 Watch the replay of the Sentinel-1C pre-launch media briefing for detailed information on the mission which will be launched aboard a Vega-C rocket no earlier than 4 December at 18:20 local time (22:20 CET) from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 164 views
Watch live: Sentinel-1C pre-launch media briefing Follow the media briefing today at 15:00 CET on ESA Web TV View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 180 views
Today, the ESA awarded a contract to Open Cosmos to design, build, launch and commission the NanoMagSat Scout satellites. This new mission will uphold Europe’s leadership in monitoring Earth’s magnetic field and contribute to applications such as space weather hazard assessment, navigation, directional drilling, and more. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 237 views
The SubOrbital Express-4 sounding rocket was successfully launched from the Esrange Space Center outside Kiruna, in the north of Sweden, at 06:00 CET yesterday morning. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 137 views
Image: Webb traces spiral arms in infrared View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 235 views
As the launch of the Sentinel-1C satellite approaches, we reflect on some of the many ways the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has given us remarkable radar insights into our planet over the years. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency, -
- 0 replies
- 165 views
Hidden in plain sight within the Sun’s glare is the ultra-hot yet ghostly faint solar corona, source of the solar wind and solar storms. The only way to see this key element of the Solar System is either through the remarkable cosmic coincidence that gives rise to total solar eclipses – the fact that the Sun is not only 400 times bigger than our Moon but also about 400 times further away, allowing it to cover the solar disc entirely – or else through artificial Sun-obscuring telescopes. View the full article
Last reply by European Space Agency,