Smoother and safer flying

Flying through a patch of severe and unexpected turbulence is an unforgettable, unsettling and sometimes painful experience for tens of thousands of passengers each year.

Image: Made for Mercury

On 6 March 2018, the BepiColombo engineering model was delivered to ESA's mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany.

Maths for midges that pull 10g

Midges move with ferocious randomness, frequently subjecting themselves to accelerations of more than 10g, well beyond the limit of fighter pilots, as they duck and dive in swarms that still retain an almost paradoxical cohesiveness ...

Tricky take-off kept pterodactyls grounded

A new study, which teamed cutting-edge engineering techniques with paleontology, has found that take-off capacity may have determined body size limits in extinct flying reptiles. The research simulated pterodactyl flight ...

Image: Inside BepiColombo's mercury transfer module

This labyrinth of power, data and propellant lines is found inside the Mercury Transfer Module, the powerful haulage vehicle tasked with transporting ESA's BepiColombo mission on its 7.5-year journey to the innermost planet.

Image: IXV drop-test model

This drop-test model of ESA's IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle will be among the attractions on display at this year'sĀ ESTEC Open Day on 5 October.

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