European Space Agency

Image: The graceful winding arms of the grand-design spiral galaxy M51 stretch across this image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. Unlike the menagerie of weird and wonderful spiral galaxies with ragged or disrupted spiral arms, grand-design spiral galaxies boast prominent, well-developed spiral arms like the ones showcased in this image. This galactic portrait is a composite image that integrates data from Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and the innovative Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), half of which was contributed by Europe. In this image the dark red regions trace the filamentary warm dust permeating the medium of the galaxy. The red regions show the reprocessed light from complex molecules forming on dust grains, while colours of orange and yellow reveal the regions of ionised gas by the recently formed star clusters. Stellar feedback has a dramatic effect on the medium of the galaxy and create complex network of bright knots as well as cavernous black bubbles. M51 – also known as NGC 5194 or the Whirlpool Galaxy – lies about 27 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici, and is trapped in a tumultuous relationship with its near neighbour, the dwarf galaxy NGC 5195. The interaction between these two galaxies has made these galactic neighbours one of the better-studied galaxy pairs in the night sky. The gravitational influence of M51’s smaller companion is thought to be partially responsible for the stately nature of the galaxy’s prominent and distinct spiral arms. If you would like to learn more about this squabbling pair of galactic neighbours, you can explore earlier observations of M51 by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope here. This Webb observation of M51 is one of a series of observations collectively titled Feedback in Emerging extrAgalactic Star clusTers, or FEAST. The FEAST observations were designed to shed light on the interplay between stellar feedback and star formation in environments outside of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Stellar feedback is the term used to describe the outpouring of energy from stars into the environments which form them, and is a crucial process in determining the rates at which stars form. Understanding stellar feedback is vital to building accurate universal models of star formation. The aim of the FEAST observations is to discover and study stellar nurseries in galaxies beyond our own Milky Way. Before Webb became operative, other observatories such as the Atacama Large Millimetre Array in the Chilean desert and Hubble have given us a glimpse of star formation either at the onset (tracing the dense gas and dust clouds where stars will form) or after the stars have destroyed with their energy their natal gas and dust clouds. Webb is opening a new window into the early stages of star formation and stellar light, as well as the energy reprocessing of gas and dust. Scientists are seeing star clusters emerging from their natal cloud in galaxies beyond our local group for the first time. They will also be able to measure how long it takes for these stars to pollute with newly formed metals and to clean out the gas (these time scales are different from galaxy to galaxy). By studying these processes, we will better understand how the star formation cycle and metal enrichment are regulated within galaxies as well as what are the time scales for planets and brown dwarfs to form. Once dust and gas is removed from the newly formed stars, there is no material left to form planets. [Image Description: A large spiral galaxy takes up the entirety of the image. The core is mostly bright white, but there are also swirling, detailed structures that resemble water circling a drain. There is white and pale blue light that emanates from stars and dust at the core’s centre, but it is tightly limited to the core. The rings feature colours of deep red and orange and highlight filaments of dust around cavernous black bubbles.] View the full article

Image: Andreas Mogensen enters the Space Station View the full article

Dropcoal, short for Drop Coalescence, is a research project that studies how droplets form in space and on Earth. The results will grant insights into raindrop and cloud formation, fuel combustion and interactions between materials, all with broad implications for industry and academy. They also play a crucial role in administering medicine to astronauts during lengthy and far-reaching space missions. View the full article

View the full article

Video: 00:05:52 On 26 August 2023, at 09:27 CEST (08:27 BST), Crew-7 aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance embarked on a journey to the International Space Station. Watch the full coverage of their launch from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. Andreas serves as pilot and has become the first European to take that role. He is sitting next to Crew-7's commander and NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli. Andreas is responsible for the spacecraft’s performance and systems. Accompanying them are mission specialists Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA and Konstantin Borisov from Roscomos. Andreas’s Huginn mission officially begins when Endurance docks with the Station. The name Huggin, which translates to ‘thought’ and traces back to the raven of Norse god Odin, symbolises the raven's pursuit of knowledge. Similarly, Andreas is embarking on this mission to gather scientific information. Aboard the Space Station, Andreas’ tasks will include monitoring 3D-printing metal objects with an ESA printer and controlling a group of robots on Earth from the European Columbus module. For more about Andreas and his Huginn mission, visit the Huginn mission page. Access the related broadcast quality video material. View the full article

Week in images: 21-25 August 2023 Discover our week through the lens View the full article

What is ESA? THIS is ESA Explore this interactive illustrated guide to what ESA is and what we do - available in all ESA Member State langauges View the full article

The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft has discovered a multitude of tiny jets of material escaping from the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Each jet lasts between 20 and 100 seconds, and expels plasma at around 100 km/s. These jets could be the long-sought-after source of the solar wind. View the full article

Confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization, July 2023 was the hottest month on record, with high-impact weather continuing through August. These records are based on air temperatures, but measurements of the temperature of Earth’s surface taken from space are also essential to tracking the impact of climate change, and to being better prepared for such extremes – especially when it comes to cities where stifling urban heat islands form. View the full article

Image: A month after fires ravaged the island of Rhodes in July 2023, more fires have ripped through Greece this week as southern Europe swelters under a late summer heatwave. This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image shows the ongoing blaze near Alexandroupoli in the Evros region of northeast Greece – close to the Türkiye border. View the full article

Hera is complete. ESA’s asteroid mission for planetary defence was built and prepared in two halves, but now, through a painstaking operation, they have been mated together to make a single spacecraft, ready for full-scale testing of its readiness for space. View the full article

View the full article

Image: Proba-3: seeing in the dark View the full article

ESA’s Mars Express has turned its trusty High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) towards Mars’s most imposing volcano, revealing its dramatic surroundings and turbulent past. View the full article

Video: 00:02:47 Crew-7 has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, in the run-up to the International Space Station launch. Crew-7 consists of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, taking the role of Dragon spacecraft pilot, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli is commander, Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA and Konstantin Borisov from Roscomos are mission specialists. This video shows scenes of Crew-7 arriving at the Kennedy Space Center, during launch rehearsal, and Andreas Mogensen training for his mission in space. Andreas and Crew-7 will launch in the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance from launch pad 39A. This is the launch pad for all crewed flights of SpaceX to the International Space Station, and was previously used for the Shuttle and Apollo missions. As pilot of Crew-7, Andreas he will take one of the two middle seats next to commander Jasmin Moghbeli and monitor the Dragon’s systems and performance during the journey to the International Space Station. When the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance docks with the International Space Station, Andreas’s Huginn mission starts. Meaning ‘thought’ and originating from the raven of the Norse god Odin, the name brings together the story of the raven Huginn flying into the world to gather information, just as Andreas will go to International Space Station and collect information for science. The Huginn mission is Andreas’s second spaceflight to the International Space Station after his 10-day ‘iriss’ mission in 2015. Watch the launch live on ESA web TV: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/ESA_Web_TV You can follow Andreas and his Huginn mission on the Huginn mission page, on Andreas’s social media channels and ESA’s social media. Andreas’s channels: Andreas’s X (formerly Twitter) / Andreas’s Instagram/ Andreas’s Facebook / Andreas’s Flickr ESA channels: ESA Facebook / ESA X (formerly Twitter) / ESA Instagram Access the related broadcast quality footage. View the full article

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has observed the well-known Ring Nebula with unprecedented detail. Formed by a star throwing off its outer layers as it runs out of fuel, the Ring Nebula is an archetypal planetary nebula. The object is also known as M57 and NGC 6720, and is relatively close to Earth at roughly 2,500 light-years away. View the full article

Image: ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen with his Crew-7 colleagues on arrival at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, 20 August. View the full article

The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) is ready to launch on 26 August 2023 to observe the most energetic objects and events in the cosmos. In doing so, it will unveil the evolution of the Universe and the structure of spacetime. XRISM is a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA, with significant participation from ESA. The launch will be streamed live in Japanese and English on JAXA’s YouTube channel. View the full article

Week in images: 14-18 August 2023 Discover our week through the lens View the full article

Huginn - piloting the Dragon Huginn View the full article

Video: 00:04:46 During Artemis I the European Service Module (ESM) surpassed expectations. Now, as we set our sights on Artemis II, the European Service Module is ready to once again serve as Orion’s primary power and propulsion component and keep the spacecraft at the right temperature and on course. And this time, with real astronauts on board. ESM-2 stands as a testament to ESA's contributions to NASA's Orion spacecraft and the Artemis programme, ensuring the crew will have the essentials – from electricity to temperature control – in the vastness of space. Next up, ESM-2 will be connected with the crew module to create the Artemis II vehicle. It will then be tAhoroughly tested before launch scheduled for next year. ESA is committed to send astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit and ultimately to the surface of the Moon and beyond. ESM is a key contribution to this joint international endeavour. This video features interviews with: Philippe Berthe, ESA’s European Service Module Project Coordination manager Kai Bergemann, Airbus deputy programme manager for Orion and the European Service Module Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency Artemis II astronaut Debbie Korth, NASA deputy programme manager for Orion View the full article

Explore ESA's activities in this unique album Space Ambition View the full article

View the full article

Image: Edge of earthquake zone View the full article

Following on from the launch of the first Meteosat Third Generation weather satellite, MTG-I1, last December, the focus is now on getting its partner satellite, MTG-S1, ready for liftoff next year – and a significant milestone has been reached. The satellite has been equipped with its main instrument, the Infrared Sounder, hence the satellite’s name, and also the Copernicus Sentinel-4 instrument, an ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared light spectrometer, or UVN for short. View the full article