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Press Briefing on Ariane 6 progress and preparation
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By European Space Agency
Video: 00:11:10 In 2024, ESA continued to drive Europe’s innovation and excellence in space, equipping the continent with advanced tools and knowledge to address global and local challenges. The year saw pioneering missions, cutting-edge satellites and the pivotal restoration of Europe’s independent access to space.
The first Ariane 6 launch was perhaps ‘the’ highlight of the year but it was only one of many achievements. We saw the last Vega launch and then the return to flight of Vega-C, the more powerful, upgraded version carrying Sentinel-1C.
Far away in our Solar System, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft performed twoMercury flybys in 2024, needed so that it can enter orbit around Mercury in 2026. Juice also performed a crucial gravity assist, this time becoming the first spacecraft to conduct a Moon-Earth double flyby on its way to Jupiter.
Twenty years after ESA’s Rosetta was launched and 10 years since its historic arrival at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, we launched another spacecraft to a small body, the Hera planetary defence mission to investigate asteroid Dimorphos.
2024 was an important year for Europe’s Galileo constellation which continued to expand with the launch of four new satellites and an updated Galileo ground system. The year also saw the launch of ESA’s Proba-3 mission: two precision formation-flying satellites forming a solar coronagraph to study the Sun’s faint corona.
In human spaceflight, Europe continues to contribute to science from the ISS as Andreas Mogensen’s Huginn mission continued into 2024. Andreas even met up in space with ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt who was launched on his Muninn mission, making it the first time two Scandinavians were in space together.
Meanwhile the latest class of ESA astronauts completed basic training and graduated in April. Two of them, Sophie and Raphaël, were then assigned to long-duration missions to the ISS in 2026.
We made crucial steps for Europe in gaining access to the Moon: the inauguration of our LUNA facility with DLR, and the delivery of a third European Service Module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis programme.
Europe is also contributing to the international Lunar Gateway and developing and ESA lunar lander called Argonaut. These landers will rely on ESA Moonlight, the programme to establish Europe’s first dedicated satellite constellation for lunar communication and navigation.
As 2024 draws to a close, ESA’s achievements this year have reinforced Europe’s role in space. ESA’s journey continues to explore new frontiers, shaping the space landscape for generations to come.
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
A digital rendering of the Starlab, which includes a large habitation and laboratory module with a smaller service module for power and propulsion.Credits: Starlab A NASA-funded commercial space station, Starlab, recently completed four key developmental milestones, marking substantial progress in the station’s design and operational readiness.
The four milestones are part of a NASA Space Act Agreement awarded in 2021 and focused on reviews of the habitat structural test article preliminary design, systems integration, integrated operations, and a habitat structural test plan.
“These milestone achievements are great indicators to reflect Starlab’s commitment to the continued efforts and advancements of their commercial destination,” said Angela Hart, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program. “As we look forward to the future of low Earth orbit, every successful milestone is one step closer to creating a dynamic and robust commercialized low Earth orbit.”
The commercial space station is designed to launch on a single flight and includes a large habitation and laboratory module with a smaller service module for power and propulsion.
Earlier this year, Starlab Space completed a structural test article preliminary design review, supported by NASA. The structural test article is an engineering development unit of the station’s habitation module, which is where astronauts will spend most of their time living and working aboard the future commercial destination. An engineering development unit is a physical model that is used to test and verify the design of a project, such as a space station.
A digital rendering of the Starlab free-flying commercial destination, which continues to be developed as part of a Space Act Agreement with NASACredits: Starlab Starlab also recently shared a test plan for the structural test article, which included defining qualification tests of the development unit from welding verifications to proof pressure and static load testing, among others. During proof pressure tests, a spacecraft component or system is pressurized to a significantly higher than normal operating pressure to verify its structural integrity, and a static load test measures the response of a component or system under an applied load.
In addition, Starlab completed integration operations and systems integration reviews. These reviews included updates on system and station architecture, segment interfaces, and program goals, as well as a comprehensive look into the program’s requirements.
Starlab also is set to complete a preliminary design review and phase 1 safety review by the end of the year. This review is meant to demonstrate that the station’s design meets system requirements, including human spaceflight verification, with acceptable risk. The safety review will summarize the current design and general safety approach for the destination.
NASA is supporting the design and development of multiple commercial space stations, including Starlab, through funded and unfunded agreements. The current design and development phase will be followed by the procurement of services from one or more companies, where NASA aims to be one of many customers for low Earth orbit destinations.
NASA’s low Earth orbit microgravity strategy builds on the agency’s extensive human spaceflight experience to advance future scientific and exploration goals. As the International Space Station nears the end of operations, NASA plans to transition to a new low Earth orbit model to continue leveraging microgravity benefits. Through commercial partnerships, NASA aims to maintain its leadership in microgravity research and ensure continued benefits for humanity.
Learn more about NASA’s low Earth orbit microgravity strategy at:
https://www.nasa.gov/leomicrogravitystrategy
News Media Contacts:
Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov
Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov
Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
Commercial Destinations in Low Earth Orbit
Low Earth Orbit Economy
Commercial Space
Commercial Use of the International Space Station
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By NASA
3 Min Read They Grow So Fast: Moon Tree Progress Since NASA’s Artemis I Mission
In the two years since NASA’s Orion spacecraft returned to Earth with more than 2,000 tree seedlings sourced in a partnership with USDA Forest Service, Artemis I Moon trees have taken root at 236 locations across the contiguous United States. Organizations are cultivating more than just trees, as they nurture community connections, spark curiosity about space, and foster a deeper understanding of NASA’s missions.
Universities, federal agencies, museums, and other organizations who were selected to be Moon tree recipients have branched out to provide their community unique engagements with their seedling.
Children sitting in a circle around a newly planted Moon tree and learning about NASA’s Artemis I mission. Adria Gillespie “Through class visits to the tree, students have gained a lot of interest in caring for the tree, and their curiosity for the unknown in outer space sparked them to do research of their own to get answers to their inquiries,” said Adria Gillespie, the district science coach at Greenfield Union School District in Greenfield, California.
The presence of a Moon tree at schools has blossomed into more student engagements surrounding NASA’s missions. Along with planting their American Sycamore, students from Eagle Pointe Elementary in Plainfield, Illinois, are participating in a Lunar Quest club to learn about NASA and engage in a simulated field trip to the Moon.
Eagle Pointe Elementary students also took part in a planting ceremony for their seedling, where they buried a time capsule with the seed, and established a student committee responsible for caring for their Moon tree.
At Marshall STEMM Academy in Toledo, Ohio, second grade students were assigned reading activities associated with their Moon tree, fourth graders created Moon tree presentations to show the school, and students engaged with city leaders and school board members to provide a Moon tree dedication.
Two individuals planting a Moon tree. Brandon Dillman A seedling sent to The Gathering Garden in Mount Gilead, North Carolina, is cared for by community volunteers. Lessons with local schools and 4-H clubs, as well as the establishment of newsletters and social media to maintain updates, have sprouted from The Gathering Garden’s Loblolly Pine.
Sprucing Up the Moon Trees’ Environment
In addition to nurturing their Moon tree, many communities have planted other trees alongside their seedling to foster a healthier environment. In Castro Valley, California, a non-profit called ForestR planted oak, fir, and sequoia trees to nestle their seedling among a tree “family.”
New homes for additional Moon tree seedlings are being identified each season through Fall 2025. Communities continue to track how the impact of NASA’s science and innovation grows alongside their Moon trees.
NASA’s “new generation” Moon trees originally blossomed from NASA’s Apollo 14 mission, where NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa carried tree seeds into lunar orbit. NASA’s Next Generation STEM project partnered with USDA Forest Service to bring Moon trees to selected organizations. As NASA continues to work for the benefit of all, its Moon trees have demonstrated how one tiny seed can sprout positive change for communities, the environment, and education.
Learn more about NASA’s STEM engagements: https://stem.nasa.gov
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
NASA STEM Artemis Moon Trees
ARTEMIS I
Outside the Classroom
For Kids and Students
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By European Space Agency
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.
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