Space science news

Tag: ESA

  • Week in images: 01-05 December 2025

    30 years of SOHO imaging the Sun

    Week in images: 01-05 December 2025

    Discover our week through the lens

  • Hubble reobserves 3I/ATLAS


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    The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reobserved interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on 30 November with its Wide Field Camera 3 instrument. At the time, the comet was about 286 million km from Earth. Hubble tracked the comet as it moved across the sky. As a result, background stars appear as streaks of light.

    Hubble previously observed 3I/ATLAS in July, shortly after its discovery, and a number of observatories have since studied the comet as well. Observations are expected to continue for several more months as 3I/ATLAS heads out of the solar system.

    For the latest updates and FAQs related to comet 3I/ATLAS, see esa.int/3IATLAS.

     

    [Image description: A bright white point sits at the centre of the image, surrounded by a large, soft blue glow that fades gradually into a dark background. Thin, faint streaks appear diagonally across the image, suggesting motion or stars in the distance. The overall effect is of a luminous object in space, radiating light against a deep, dark backdrop.]

  • Earth from Space: Singing dunes and mysterious lakes

    This Copernicus Sentinel-1 image features part of the Badain Jaran Desert in northwestern China.
    Image:
    This Copernicus Sentinel-1 image features part of the Badain Jaran Desert in northwestern China.

  • Comet 3I/ATLAS shows activity in Juice navigation camera teaser

    Comet 3I/ATLAS shows activity in Juice navigation camera teaser
    Image:
    Comet 3I/ATLAS shows activity in Juice navigation camera teaser

  • EarthCARE lifts the clouds on climate models

    EarthCARE improves estimates of how clouds influence Earth’s energy balance

    True to its promise, the European Space Agency’s EarthCARE satellite is now being used to calculate directly how clouds and aerosols influence Earth’s energy balance – the all-important balance that regulates our climate. In doing so, EarthCARE is poised to sharpen the accuracy of climate models, the very tools that guide global climate policy and action.

  • A martian butterfly flaps its wings

    Bird’s-eye view: the butterflies and dark layers of Idaeus Fossae

    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.

  • Sun-watcher SOHO celebrates thirty years

    30 years of SOHO imaging the Sun (unannotated)

    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. 

  • Webb observes a dance of dwarf galaxies

    Webb observes a dance of dwarf galaxies
    Image:
    Webb observes a dance of dwarf galaxies

  • Flooding in Sri Lanka

    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.
    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.

  • Europe’s next mission to Venus – Envision this (introduction)


    Video:
    00:01:01

    Meet Envision. Europe’s next mission to Venus. Planned for launch in 2031.

    Envision will study Venus from its core to its upper atmosphere to reveal more about the planet’s history, geological activity, and climate. It will help us understand why Earth’s closest neighbour – in distance as well as in physical characteristics – has evolved into such a hostile planet.

    A mission like Envision takes years of planning, involving much teamwork between scientists and engineers. It’s as much a human as a technical endeavour. This video provides a peek behind the scenes at this process.

    This short episode is the introduction to a new series called ‘Envision this’, which will follow the development of the mission. Keep an eye on our dedicated Envision website for future episodes.

  • 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

    IRIDE’s Eaglet II satellites launched from Vandenberg

    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

    Athens from ICEYE

    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.