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By European Space Agency
Video: 00:10:27 In 1975, 10 European countries came together with a vision to collaborate on key space activities: science and astronomy, launch capabilities and space applications: the European Space Agency, ESA, was born.
In 2025, we mark half a century of joint European achievement – filled with firsts and breakthroughs in science, exploration and technology, and the space infrastructure and economy that power Europe today.
During the past five decades ESA has grown, developing ever bolder and bigger projects and adding more Member States, with Slovenia joining as the latest full Member State in January.
We’ll also celebrate the 50th anniversary of ESA’s Estrack network, 30 years of satellite navigation in Europe and 20 years since ESA launched the first demonstration satellite Giove-A which laid the foundation for the EU’s own satnav constellation Galileo. Other notable celebrations are the 20th anniversary of ESA’s Business Incubation Centres, or BICs, and the 30th year in space for SOHO, the joint ESA and NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
Sadly though, 2025 will mean end of science operations for Integral and Gaia. Integral, ESA's gamma-ray observatory has exotic objects in space since 2002 and Gaia concludes a decade of mapping the stars. But as some space telescopes retire, another one provides its first full data release. Launched in 2023, we expect Euclid’s data release early in the new year.
Launch-wise, we’re looking forward to Copernicus Sentinel-4 and -5 (Sentinel-4 will fly on an MTG-sounder satellite and Sentinel-5 on the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite), Copernicus Sentinel-1D, Sentinel-6B and Biomass. We’ll also launch the SMILE mission, or Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, a joint mission with the Chinese academy of science.
The most powerful version of Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, is set to fly operationally for the first time in 2025. With several European commercial launcher companies planning to conduct their first orbital launches in 2025 too, ESA is kicking off the European Launcher Challenge to support the further development of European space transportation industry.
In human spaceflight, Polish ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański will fly to the ISS on the commercial Axiom-4 mission. Artemis II will be launched with the second European Service Module, on the first crewed mission around the Moon since 1972.
The year that ESA looks back on a half century of European achievement will also be one of key decisions on our future. At the Ministerial Council towards the end of 2025, our Member States will convene to ensure that Europe's crucial needs, ambitions and the dreams that unite us in space become reality.
So, in 2025, we’ll celebrate the legacy of those who came before but also help establish a foundation for the next 50 years. Join us as we look forward to a year that honours ESA’s legacy and promises new milestones in space.
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By NASA
NASA’s Glenn Research Center leaders stand with Evening With the Stars presenters. Left to right: Tim Smith, Nikki Welch, Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon, Acting Deputy Director Dr. Wanda Peters, and Carlos Garcia-Galan. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis NASA Glenn Research Center’s “An Evening With the Stars” showcased research and technology innovations that addressed this year’s theme, NASA Glenn’s Spotlight on the Stars: 10 Years and Counting. The event featured presentations from Glenn subject matter experts and a networking reception.
Held at Windows on the River near Cleveland’s historic waterfront on Nov. 20, the event attracted sponsors and guests from more than 50 companies, universities, and organizations eager to learn more about the center’s recent accomplishments.
Special guests Dennis Andersh, CEO and president of Parallax Advanced Research/Ohio Aerospace Institute; Terrence Slaybaugh, vice president of Sites and Infrastructure for JobsOhio; and Dr. Wanda Peters, NASA Glenn’s acting deputy director, provided remarks.
Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon took the stage to welcome visitors and share some accomplishments from an exciting year at NASA Glenn. Kenyon then introduced the presenters – NASA’s stars of the evening – and their topics.
“I relish this evening each year because it spotlights what is most important to our success at NASA: our people,” Kenyon said.
Nikki Welch is the digital manager in the Office of Communications. In this role, she helps to tell the NASA Glenn story in engaging ways for Glenn’s hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Welch shared details about her efforts and the importance of “Connecting People to the Mission.”
NASA Glenn Research Center’s Nikki Welch talks about connecting people to the NASA mission through storytelling. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Tim Smith leads high-temperature alloy development at NASA Glenn and has led research that resulted in over a dozen research licenses and four commercial licenses. As one of the inventors of the metal alloy GRX-810, Smith shared information about Glenn’s “Super Alloy Achievements.”
NASA Glenn Research Center’s Tim Smith talks about NASA’s superalloy achievements. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Carlos Garcia-Galan is the manager of the Orion program’s European Service Module Integration Office. This module, being provided by ESA (European Space Agency), is Orion’s powerhouse. Garcia-Galan shared information on the topic “Dreaming of Going to the Moon.”
NASA Glenn Research Center’s Carlos Garcia-Galan talks about the spacecraft that will bring humanity back to the Moon. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Return to Newsletter Explore More
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By NASA
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Maurice Valdez, Niki Parenteau, Dori Myer, and Judy Alfter. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond.
Space Science and Astrobiology Star: Maurice Valdez
Maurice Valdez is a system administrator, supporting desktop systems and website development for the Space Science and Astrobiology Division. Maurice is recognized for his focus and commitment to supporting the division’s scientific productivity by keeping systems compliant and functioning. His can-do attitude makes him instrumental in the success of the team, whether he is finding new solutions for hybrid meetings, fixing equipment, patching systems, or troubleshooting issues.
Photo credit: Pacific Science Center Space Science and Astrobiology Star: Niki Parenteau
Niki Parenteau, a research scientist for the Exobiology Branch, embodies the true spirit of an interdisciplinary astrobiologist. She has applied her expertise to identify potential biosignatures of life on exoplanets and has taken a leading role in the project office for the development of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), where she facilitates collaborative efforts of Ames scientists across the division and shepherds the larger scientific community to enable observations of biosignatures with HWO.
Space Biosciences Star: Dori Myer
Archivist Dori Myer has made an outstanding contribution in the Flight Systems Implementation Branch’s multi-year effort to digitize and preserve institutional knowledge. Under her guidance, the records management team digitized tens of thousands of historical records, preserving the branch’s institutional knowledge for years to come. Her exceptional initiative and dedication have transformed our record management processes, ensuring the accessibility of NASA’s rich institutional knowledge while streamlining its access in the modern age.
Earth Science Star: Judy Alfter
Judy Alfter, a Deputy Project Manager in the Earth Science Project Office (ESPO), has excelled in her multi-faceted role during the field campaign for the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem Post-launch Airborne eXperiment (PACE-PAX). Judy launched the deployment phase of PACE-PAX, leading the effort to set up Twin Otter flight operations at Marina Municipal Airport in California. Following this phase, she transitioned to Santa Barbara in California to support the mobilization of PACE-PAX ship operations and concluded deployment activities at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s main campus as ESPO site manager for ER-2 flight operations.
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By NASA
A rendering of Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander and a rover developed for the company’s third mission to the Moon as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative.Credit: Firefly Aerospace NASA continues to advance its campaign to explore more of the Moon than ever before, awarding Firefly Aerospace $179 million to deliver six experiments to the lunar surface. This fourth task order for Firefly will target landing in the Gruithuisen Domes on the near side of the Moon in 2028.
As part of the agency’s broader Artemis campaign, Firefly will deliver a group of science experiments and technology demonstrations under NASA’s CLPS initiative, or Commercial Lunar Payload Services, to these lunar domes, an area of ancient lava flows, to better understand planetary processes and evolution. Through CLPS, NASA is furthering our understanding of the Moon’s environment and helping prepare for future human missions to the lunar surface, as part of the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach.
“The CLPS initiative carries out U.S. scientific and technical studies on the surface of the Moon by robot explorers. As NASA prepares for future human exploration of the Moon, the CLPS initiative continues to support a growing lunar economy with American companies,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Understanding the formation of the Gruithuisen Domes, as well as the ancient lava flows surrounding the landing site, will help the U.S. answer important questions about the lunar surface.”
Firefly’s first lunar delivery is scheduled to launch no earlier than mid-January 2025 and will land near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, on the northeast quadrant of the Moon’s near side. Firefly’s second lunar mission includes two task orders: a lunar orbit drop-off of a satellite combined with a delivery to the lunar surface on the far side and a delivery of a lunar orbital calibration source, scheduled in 2026.
This new delivery in 2028 will send payloads to the Gruithuisen Domes and the nearby Sinus Viscositatus. The Gruithuisen Domes have long been suspected to be formed by a magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite. Granitic rocks form easily on Earth due to plate tectonics and oceans of water. The Moon lacks these key ingredients, so lunar scientists have been left to wonder how these domes formed and evolved over time. For the first time, as part of this task order, NASA also has contracted to provide “mobility,” or roving, for some of the scientific instruments on the lunar surface after landing. This will enable new types of U.S. scientific investigations from CLPS.
“Firefly will deliver six instruments to understand the landing site and surrounding vicinity,” said Chris Culbert, manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “These instruments will study geologic processes and lunar regolith, test solar cells, and characterize the neutron radiation environment, supplying invaluable information as NASA works to establish a long-term presence on the Moon.”
The instruments, collectively expected to be about 215 pounds (97 kilograms) in mass, include:
Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer, which consists of two stationary and three mobile instruments, will study rocks and regoliths on the summit of one of the domes to determine their origin and better understand geologic processes of early planetary bodies. The principal investigator is Dr. Kerri Donaldson Hanna of the University of Central Florida, Orlando. Heimdall is a flexible camera system that will be used to take pictures of the landing site from above the horizon to the ground directly below the lander. The principal investigator is Dr. R. Aileen Yingst of the Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Arizona. Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering, and Probing of Lunar Regolith is a robotic arm that will collect samples of lunar regolith and use a robotic scoop to filter and isolate particles of different sizes. The sampling technology will use a flight spare from the Mars Exploration Rover project. The principal investigator is Sean Dougherty of Maxar Technologies, Westminster, Colorado. Low-frequency Radio Observations from the Near Side Lunar Surface is designed to observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine whether natural and human-generated activity near the surface interferes with science. The project is headed up by Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface will carry a set of the latest solar cells for a technology demonstration of light-to-electricity power conversion for future missions. The experiment will also collect data on the electrical charging environment of the lunar surface using a small array of solar cells. The principal investigator is Jeremiah McNatt from NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface is a neutron spectrometer that will characterize the surface neutron radiation environment, monitor hydrogen, and provide constraints on elemental composition. The principal investigator is Dr. Heidi Haviland of NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Through the CLPS initiative, NASA purchases lunar landing and surface operations services from American companies. The agency uses CLPS to send scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to advance capabilities for science, exploration, or commercial development of the Moon. By supporting a robust cadence of lunar deliveries, NASA will continue to enable a growing lunar economy while leveraging the entrepreneurial innovation of the commercial space industry. Two upcoming CLPS flights scheduled to launch in early 2025 will deliver NASA payloads to the Moon’s near side and south polar region, respectively.
Learn more about CLPS and Artemis at:
https://www.nasa.gov/clps
-end-
Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov
Natalia Riusech / Nilufar Ramji
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
natalia.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Dec 18, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Artemis View the full article
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By NASA
4 Min Read NASA Finds ‘Sideways’ Black Hole Using Legacy Data, New Techniques
Image showing the structure of galaxy NGC 5084, with data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory overlaid on a visible-light image of the galaxy. Chandra’s data, shown in purple, revealed four plumes of hot gas emanating from a supermassive black hole rotating “tipped over” at the galaxy’s core. Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC, A. S. Borlaff, P. Marcum et al.; Optical full image: M. Pugh, B. Diaz; Image Processing: NASA/USRA/L. Proudfit NASA researchers have discovered a perplexing case of a black hole that appears to be “tipped over,” rotating in an unexpected direction relative to the galaxy surrounding it. That galaxy, called NGC 5084, has been known for years, but the sideways secret of its central black hole lay hidden in old data archives. The discovery was made possible by new image analysis techniques developed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley to take a fresh look at archival data from the agency’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Using the new methods, astronomers at Ames unexpectedly found four long plumes of plasma – hot, charged gas – emanating from NGC 5084. One pair of plumes extends above and below the plane of the galaxy. A surprising second pair, forming an “X” shape with the first, lies in the galaxy plane itself. Hot gas plumes are not often spotted in galaxies, and typically only one or two are present.
The method revealing such unexpected characteristics for galaxy NGC 5084 was developed by Ames research scientist Alejandro Serrano Borlaff and colleagues to detect low-brightness X-ray emissions in data from the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope. What they saw in the Chandra data seemed so strange that they immediately looked to confirm it, digging into the data archives of other telescopes and requesting new observations from two powerful ground-based observatories.
Hubble Space Telescope image of galaxy NGC 5084’s core. A dark, vertical line near the center shows the curve of a dusty disk orbiting the core, whose presence suggests a supermassive black hole within. The disk and black hole share the same orientation, fully tipped over from the horizontal orientation of the galaxy.NASA/STScI, M. A. Malkan, B. Boizelle, A.S. Borlaff. HST WFPC2, WFC3/IR/UVIS. The surprising second set of plumes was a strong clue this galaxy housed a supermassive black hole, but there could have been other explanations. Archived data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile then revealed another quirk of NGC 5084: a small, dusty, inner disk turning about the center of the galaxy. This, too, suggested the presence of a black hole there, and, surprisingly, it rotates at a 90-degree angle to the rotation of the galaxy overall; the disk and black hole are, in a sense, lying on their sides.
The follow-up analyses of NGC 5084 allowed the researchers to examine the same galaxy using a broad swath of the electromagnetic spectrum – from visible light, seen by Hubble, to longer wavelengths observed by ALMA and the Expanded Very Large Array of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory near Socorro, New Mexico.
“It was like seeing a crime scene with multiple types of light,” said Borlaff, who is also the first author on the paper reporting the discovery. “Putting all the pictures together revealed that NGC 5084 has changed a lot in its recent past.”
It was like seeing a crime scene with multiple types of light.
Alejandro Serrano Borlaff
NASA Research Scientist
“Detecting two pairs of X-ray plumes in one galaxy is exceptional,” added Pamela Marcum, an astrophysicist at Ames and co-author on the discovery. “The combination of their unusual, cross-shaped structure and the ‘tipped-over,’ dusty disk gives us unique insights into this galaxy’s history.”
Typically, astronomers expect the X-ray energy emitted from large galaxies to be distributed evenly in a generally sphere-like shape. When it’s not, such as when concentrated into a set of X-ray plumes, they know a major event has, at some point, disturbed the galaxy.
Possible dramatic moments in its history that could explain NGC 5084’s toppled black hole and double set of plumes include a collision with another galaxy and the formation of a chimney of superheated gas breaking out of the top and bottom of the galactic plane.
More studies will be needed to determine what event or events led to the current strange structure of this galaxy. But it is already clear that the never-before-seen architecture of NGC 5084 was only discovered thanks to archival data – some almost three decades old – combined with novel analysis techniques.
The paper presenting this research was published Dec. 18 in The Astrophysical Journal. The image analysis method developed by the team – called Selective Amplification of Ultra Noisy Astronomical Signal, or SAUNAS – was described in The Astrophysical Journal in May 2024.
For news media:
Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom.
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Last Updated Dec 18, 2024 Related Terms
Black Holes Ames Research Center Ames Research Center's Science Directorate Astrophysics Chandra X-Ray Observatory Galaxies Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Research General Hubble Space Telescope Marshall Astrophysics Marshall Science Research & Projects Marshall Space Flight Center Missions NASA Centers & Facilities Science & Research Supermassive Black Holes The Universe Explore More
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