European Space Agency

Video: 00:04:20 ESA’s Euclid space telescope is nearly ready for launch. The spacecraft arrived in Florida on 30 April for final tests and checks, and now being integrated with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will carry it into space. For the team at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, this means that the most intense phase of their work is about to begin. To prepare themselves, the team has simulated the launch operations, tackling issues ranging from team members falling ill to a computer mouse being taped over. Euclid is ESA’s space telescope designed to explore the dark Universe. The mission will create the largest, most accurate 3D map of the Universe ever produced across 10 billion years of cosmic time. Euclid will explore how the Universe has expanded and how large-scale structure is distributed across space and time, revealing more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter. Euclid is targeted to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, at 11:11 local time / 16:11 BST / 17:11 CEST on Saturday 1 July 2023. A back-up launch date of Sunday 2 July 2023 is foreseen. View the full article

Image: On 27 June, this last glimpse of ESA’s Euclid space telescope was caught right before it was encapsulated by a SpaceX Falcon 9 fairing, meaning that the nose of the rocket was installed over the spacecraft. Euclid is 4.7-m tall and 3.7-m in diameter, fitting nicely in the Falcon 9 fairing with height of 13.1-m and width of 5.2-m.  The Euclid satellite is getting ready for the target launch date of 1 July 2023 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA.  The Falcon 9 fairing will keep Euclid safe and clean during the last days before lift-off and it will protect the spacecraft against Earth’s atmosphere during launch. Euclid’s telescope and instruments are extremely sensitive and must be kept very clean. To protect them from degradation during launch a special request was made for a brand-new fairing. ESA's Euclid mission is designed to explore the dark Universe and uncover the great cosmic mystery of dark matter and dark energy. The space telescope will create the largest, most accurate 3D map of the Universe across space and time by observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years, across more than a third of the sky. This wealth of new data will chart how matter is distributed across immense distances and how the Universe has expanded, revealing more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter.   Find out more about Euclid in ESA’s launch kit  View the full article

Our ‘ESA Photolibrary for Professionals’ platform has relaunched with a new modern user interface, additional search features and download options. Register for a user account and you can access the largest selection of high-resolution professional images from ESA. View the full article

Image: Eye of Euclid View the full article

Image: After being secured to the SpaceX Falcon 9 adaptor, on Friday 23 June, Euclid was mounted on top of the Payload Attach Fitting (PAF). Before launch, Euclid on the PAF will be encapsulated in the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. ESA’s new cosmological mission Euclid is getting ready for lift-off with a target launch date of 1 July 2023 from Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA). ESA's Euclid mission is designed to explore the dark Universe and uncover the great cosmic mystery of dark matter and dark energy. The space telescope will create the largest, most accurate 3D map of the Universe across space and time by observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years, across more than a third of the sky. It will chart how the Universe has expanded and how large-scale structure is distributed across space and time, revealing more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter. Find out more about Euclid in ESA's launch kit. View the full article

The 54th edition of the Paris Air Show, held from 19 to 25 June, just came to an end. The week-long show, one the oldest and largest aerospace events in the world, welcomed institutional and trade visitors on the first four days, while on the last three days it opened its doors to space and aviation enthusiasts, students and children with their families. With more than 20 000 people visiting the ESA/CNES pavilion in the last three public days, the Paris Air Show 2023 showcased the successes and ambitions of the European Space Agency for a record-breaking number of visitors to the ESA/CNES pavilion. View the full article

Video: 00:02:58 In June 2023, representatives from ESA, the French space agency CNES, Ariane 6 and launch operator Arianespace met at ArianeGroup’s rocket factory in Les Mureaux, near Paris, to see how the all-new Ariane 6 is taking shape. Ariane 6 builds on the heritage of its hugely successful predecessor, Ariane 5. But it will lift more payload at less cost and fly more often, to give Europe one of the world’s most flexible, reliable launch systems. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher acknowledged a temporary gap in launch capability that will mark the period between Ariane 5’s final flight and the beginning of Ariane 6 service. But, he stressed, Ariane 6 would continue an invaluable service: “This is guaranteed access to space for Europe. Because this makes it possible that we have navigation satellites, communication satellites, Earth observation satellites – all the satellites we need in daily life. Without these rockets, they could not fly.” Access the realted broadcast quality video material. View the full article

An international team of scientists have used data collected by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to detect a molecule [1] known as the methyl cation (CH3+) for the first time, located in the protoplanetary disc surrounding a young star. They accomplished this feat with a cross-disciplinary expert analysis, including key input from laboratory spectroscopists. View the full article

Image: On Friday 23 June, Euclid was secured to the adaptor of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Engineers attached the satellite to the adaptor that will be placed on the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch Euclid into space. ESA’s new cosmological mission Euclid is getting ready for lift-off with a target launch date of 1 July 2023 from Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA). ESA's Euclid mission is designed to help us uncover the great cosmic mystery of dark matter and dark energy. The space telescope will observe more than a third of the sky with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. It will chart the shape, position and movement of billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years to create the largest, most accurate 3D map of the Universe across space and time. This will reveal how matter is distributed across immense distances and how the expansion of the Universe has evolved over cosmic history, enabling scientists to pin down the properties of dark energy and dark matter and uncover their elusive nature. Find out more about Euclid in ESA’s launch kit View the full article

Video: 00:02:37 On 22 June 2023 at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, engineers rolled back the mobile gantry protecting Ariane 6 on its launch pad. The exercise helped validate ground systems and prepare for a series of engine fire tests. Access the related broadcast quality video material. View the full article

ESA Impact 2023 – Quarter 2 Welcome to this edition of ESA Impact, an interactive publication covering stories and images from the second quarter of 2023. View the full article

Video: 00:01:40 From Monday 19 to Sunday 25 June, at the ‘Space Pavilion’ of Paris Air Show 2023, ESA and CNES present ambitious new projects in space exploration, astronautics, Earth observation and security-related applications. Access all the videos from Paris Air Show 2023. View the full article

Week in images: 19-23 June 2023 Discover our week through the lens View the full article

Work to develop a reusable engine for European rockets is progressing, with full ignition of an early prototype of Prometheus. These images were taken on 22 June 2023 at ArianeGroup’s test facility in Vernon, France during a 12-second burn. View the full article

After four intensive days of panels and sessions dedicated to professionals and trade visitors, starting today ESA/CNES pavilion will be helding a variety of events dedicated to students and general public. Click the link here to view the full programme of events being held in the ESA-CNES shared area. The public days will take place from Friday to Sunday 23, 24 and 25 June. View the full article

Image: The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. View the full article

ESA will be broadcasting live as the Euclid space telescope, which will explore the dark Universe, is targeted to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, at 11:11 local time / 15:11 UTC / 17:11 CEST on Saturday 1 July 2023. A back-up launch date of Sunday 2 July 2023 is foreseen. Here’s how to follow the launch online. All times CEST. Times subject to change at short notice View the full article

ESA’s new Ariane 6 launch system is being prepared for a round of engine fire tests – with removal of the mobile building that protects the rocket while it sits on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. View the full article

Image: W-band on the run View the full article

Video: 01:08:04 By using concrete examples of the water and carbon cycles, the speakers in this session focus on the grand science questions and how we can turn them into answers and solutions most useful to decision-makers at the front line of the climate crisis. Earth is a highly dynamic system where the transport and exchanges of energy and matter are influenced by a multitude of processes and feedback mechanisms. Untangling these complex processes to better understand how Earth works as a system is a major challenge; a challenge that satellites, with their global view, are ideally positioned to tackle. While each mission gives us unique insights, it is by combining their data that makes scientific findings shine the brightest. This, in turn, puts European and international collaboration at the heart of Earth observation today. Access all the videos from Paris Air Show 2023. View the full article

Image: The Zero Debris Charter View the full article

Video: 00:46:00 Watch the replay of the live session from Paris Air Show 2023 discussing the signature of a new European Zero Space Debris policy. ESA's aim is to totally stop the generation of debris in valuable orbits by 2030. This approach has been initiated by the Agency in response to the catastrophic degradation of the Low-Earth Orbit environment. Speakers will include ESA representatives -including its Director General- and leading industry players. Access all the videos from Paris Air Show 2023. View the full article

Photo highlights from day 4 of the Paris Air Show 2023. Main focus of the day is on Applications, Earth Observation and Space Safety. The 54th edition of the Paris Air Show opened its doors on Monday and will continue till the 25 June. ESA is taking part with an exhibition in the Space Pavilion alongside with CNES, the French National Space Agency. Throughout the week, the pavilion will host presentations, events and temporary exhibitions from both agencies, while several events will be held in the ESA/CNES shared area. Click the link here to view the full programme of events being held in the ESA-CNES shared area. View the full article

Image: Ambassador Andreas for WILD Nature Foundation View the full article

Watch Mercury appear from the shadows as the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft sped by the planet’s night side during its 19 June 2023 close flyby, and enjoy a special flyover of geologically rich terrain, along with a bonus 3D scene. View the full article