Is it an insect? A strange fossil? An otherworldly eye, or even a walnut? No, it’s an intriguing kind of martian butterfly spotted by ESA’s Mars Express.
Category: News
http://www.esa.int/rssfeed/Our_Activities/Space_News
-
Sun-watcher SOHO celebrates thirty years
On 2 December 1995 the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) blasted into space – on what was supposed to be a two-year mission.
From its outpost 1.5 million km away from Earth in the direction of the Sun, SOHO enjoys uninterrupted views of our star. It has provided a nearly continuous record of our Sun’s activity for close to three 11-year-long solar cycles.
-
Flooding in Sri Lanka
Image:
Puttalam district in North Western Sri Lanka is currently facing severe flooding, landslides and rockfalls, caused by heavy monsoon rains across the region. Copernicus Sentinel-2 captured an image over the region yesterday, 30 November 2025, as well an image one month ago, showing the extent of flooding. -
The new Discovery and Preparation podcast showcases innovation for space
ESA Discovery and Preparation has launched a new podcast series highlighting the innovative space technologies being developed through its activities.
-
Italian mission adds to growing IRIDE space fleet
The Italian programme IRIDE, which provides public sector services based on data from its fleet of Earth observation constellations, has added eight satellites to its second constellation, Eaglet II.
-
High-resolution radar satellites launched for Greece
Thanks to the EU-funded Recovery and Resilience Facility, and through collaboration between the Greek government, the private satellite company ICEYE and the European Space Agency (ESA), two new high-resolution radar satellites have been launched to strengthen disaster management, environmental monitoring and national security across Greece.
-
ESA’s HydroGNSS mission launched to ‘scout’ for water
The European Space Agency’s first Scout mission, HydroGNSS, was launched today, 28 November, marking a significant step in advancing global understanding of water availability and the effects of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.
The two twin HydroGNSS satellites were carried into orbit at 19:44 CET aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the Transporter-15 rideshare flight from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
-
HydroGNSS launch highlights
Video:
00:02:51ESA’s first Scout mission, HydroGNSS, was launched on 28 November 2025, marking a significant step in advancing global understanding of water availability and the effects of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.
The two twin HydroGNSS satellites were carried into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US.
Embracing the New Space concept, HydroGNSS is one of ESA’s new Scout missions being developed within the Earth Observation FutureEO programme.
-
Week in images: 24-28 November 2025
Week in images: 24-28 November 2025
Discover our week through the lens
-
Earth from Space: Eye of the Sahara
Image:
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures a spectacular geological wonder in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania: the Richat Structure. -
ESA Council meeting at Ministerial level 2025 – press conference
Video:
00:51:00Watch the replay of the press conference held at the conclusion of ESA’s Ministerial Council 2025 (CM25) in Bremen, Germany. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, as well as the hosting minister and the CM25 chair, present the outcome of this high-level meeting that took place on 26 and 27 November.
-
ESA Member States commit to largest contributions at Ministerial
The largest contributions in the history of the European Space Agency, €22.1 bn, have been approved at its Council meeting at Ministerial level in Bremen, Germany.
-
Ministers and high-level representatives gather for ESA's Ministerial Council
Image:
Ministers and high-level representatives gather for ESA’s Ministerial Council