Space science news

Tag: ESA

  • Smile's other half arrives | Let’s Smile (action snippet)


    Video:
    00:01:22

    On 9 December 2024, the Smile Platform arrived safely at Amsterdam Schiphol airport and was subsequently transported to ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. It came a long way, having travelled all the way from Shanghai, China.  

    This marks an important step in the Smile mission, as the spacecraft’s two halves are now in the same location, ready to be joined together. Launching in around a year from now, Smile will study space weather and the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s environment. 

    The Platform, built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), includes the propulsion and service modules responsible for powering, steering and controlling the spacecraft. The European half of the spacecraft –  the so-called Payload Module – was built by Airbus in Madrid and is already at ESTEC. It hosts three of the four science instruments of the mission, commands all four of them and downlinks all the data back to Earth. 

    The Platform didn’t travel alone. It was accompanied by a team of Smile engineers and managers from CAS. They will closely work together with their European counterparts from ESA and Airbus during the coming ten months to assemble the Smile spacecraft and fully test it at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre. 

    After that, Smile will be shipped to Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Its launch is planned for late 2025. 

    All Let’s Smile videos will be listed here: Let’s Smile

  • ESA to support Indian human spaceflight missions

    ISRO Gaganyaan crew module

    On 4 December 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an agreement that will see ESA provide ground station support to the missions in ISRO’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.

  • Webb finds primeval star-forming galaxy that is lightweight

    Galaxy cluster MACS J1423 (NIRCam image)

    For the first time, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has detected and ‘weighed’ a galaxy, in the early Universe, that has a mass that is similar to what our Milky Way galaxy’s mass might have been at the same stage of development. Found at around 600 million years after the Big Bang, this lightweight galaxy, nicknamed the Firefly Sparkle, is gleaming with star clusters – 10 in total – that researchers examined in great detail. Other galaxies Webb has detected at this period in the history of the Universe are significantly more massive.

  • Paxi explores ice


    Video:
    00:04:04

    English Paxi explores ice

    Join Paxi on an adventure to the North and South poles, to learn more about ice and its role in keeping Earth cool.

     

    Italian Paxi osserva il ghiaccio

    Unisciti a Paxi in un’avventura ai poli Nord e Sud, per saperne di più sul ghiaccio e sul suo ruolo nel mantenere la Terra fresca.

     

    German Paxi erforscht das Eis

    Begleiten Sie Paxi auf ein Abenteuer zum Nord- und Südpol, um mehr über Eis und seine Rolle bei der Kühlung der Erde zu erfahren.

     

    French Paxi explore la glace

    Rejoignez Paxi dans une aventure aux pôles Nord et Sud, pour en savoir plus sur la glace et son rôle dans le refroidissement de la Terre.

     

    Spanish Paxi explora el hielo

    Únete a Paxi en una aventura a los polos Norte y Sur, para aprender más sobre el hielo y su papel en mantener la Tierra fría.

     

    Portuguese Paxi explora o gelo

    Junte-se a Paxi numa aventura aos pólos Norte e Sul, para aprender mais sobre o gelo e o seu papel na manutenção da Terra fresca.

     

    Greek Ο Πάξι εξερευνά τον πάγο

    Ελάτε μαζί με τον Paxi σε μια περιπέτεια στο Βόρειο και το Νότιο Πόλο, για να μάθετε περισσότερα για τον πάγο και το ρόλο του στη διατήρηση της ψύξης της Γης.

     

    Polish Paxi bada lód

    Dołącz do Paxi podczas przygody na biegunie północnym i południowym, aby dowiedzieć się więcej o lodzie i jego roli w chłodzeniu Ziemi.

     

    Swedish Paxi utforskar is

    Följ med Paxi på ett äventyr till Nord- och Sydpolen för att lära dig mer om is och dess roll för att hålla jorden sval.

     

    Norwegian Paxi utforsker is

    Bli med Paxi på et eventyr til Nord- og Sydpolen for å lære mer om is og dens rolle i å holde jorden kjølig.

     

    Danish Paxi udforsker is

    Tag med Paxi på eventyr til Nord- og Sydpolen for at lære mere om is og dens rolle i at holde Jorden kølig.

     

    Romanian Paxi explorează gheață

    Alăturați-vă lui Paxi într-o aventură la polii Nord și Sud, pentru a afla mai multe despre gheață și rolul său în menținerea Pământului rece.

     

    Finnish Paxi tutkii jäätä

    Lähde Paxin mukaan seikkailulle pohjois- ja etelänavoille ja opi lisää jäästä ja sen roolista maapallon viileänä pitämisessä.

     

    Estonian Paxi avastab jääd

    Liitu Paxiga seiklusel põhja- ja lõunapoolusele, et õppida rohkem jääst ja selle rollist Maa jahedana hoidmisel.

     

    Czech Paxi zkoumá led

    Vydejte se s Paxi na dobrodružnou výpravu na severní a jižní pól, abyste se dozvěděli více o ledu a jeho úloze při udržování chladu na Zemi.

     

    Dutch Paxi onderzoekt ijs

    Ga mee met Paxi op avontuur naar de Noord- en Zuidpool om meer te leren over ijs en de rol die ijs speelt bij het koel houden van de aarde.

  • AI-powered satellite data reveals clouds in 3D

    Generating 3D cloud maps

    Launched in May 2024, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite is nearing the end of its commissioning phase with the release of its first data on clouds and aerosols expected early next year. In the meantime, an international team of scientists has found an innovative way of applying artificial intelligence to other satellite data to yield 3D profiles of clouds.

    This is particularly news for those eagerly awaiting data from EarthCARE in their quest to advance climate science.

  • Space design chamber made in LEGO

    Space design chamber made in LEGO
    Image:
    Space design chamber made in LEGO

  • Sentinel-1C captures first radar images

    The Netherlands from Sentinel-1C

    Less than a week after its launch, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite has delivered its first radar images of Earth – offering a glimpse into its capabilities for environmental monitoring. These initial images feature regions of interest, including Svalbard in Norway, the Netherlands, and Brussels, Belgium.

  • XMM-Newton celebrates 25 years of breakthroughs

    Today, ESA’s powerful X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton, celebrates 25 years in space. From planets to black holes, the space telescope has delivered many ground-breaking observations of a variety of celestial objects. And the mission is still going strong as recent results testify. We take a look at five fascinating discoveries from the last five years.

  • BepiColombo reveals Mercury in a new light

    First mid-infrared light observations of Mercury

    On 1 December 2024, BepiColombo flew past Mercury for the fifth time. During this flyby, BepiColombo became the first spacecraft ever to observe Mercury in mid-infrared light. The new images reveal variations in temperature and composition across the planet’s cratered surface.

  • UK methane leak spotted using satellites

    Methane concentrations near Cheltenham

    Researchers from the University of Leeds have detected methane leaking from a faulty pipe in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK, using GHGSat satellite data – part of ESA’s Third Party Mission Programme. This marks the first time a UK methane emission has been identified from space and successfully mitigated.

  • Week in images: 02-06 December 2024

    Sentinel-1C radar satellite on its way to orbit

    Week in images: 02-06 December 2024

    Discover our week through the lens

  • Earth from Space: First seasonal snow

    This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image from 21 November 2024 captures the first snow of the season over Denmark and southern Sweden.
    Image:
    This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image from 21 November 2024 captures the first snow of the season over Denmark and southern Sweden.

  • Vega-C and Sentinel-1C launch highlights


    Video:
    00:03:40

    The third Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite, Sentinel-1C, has launched aboard a Vega-C rocket, flight VV25, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 5 December 2024 at 22:20 CET (18:20 local time).

    Sentinel-1C extends the legacy of its predecessors, delivering high-resolution radar imagery to monitor Earth’s changing environment, supporting a diverse range of applications and advance scientific research. Additionally, Sentinel-1C introduces new capabilities for detecting and monitoring maritime traffic. 

    The launch also marks Vega-C’s ‘return to flight’, a key step in restoring Europe’s independent access to space. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.