EarthCARE on cloud nine after smooth start to mission

ESA's EarthCARE mission has completed its important "Launch and Early Orbit Phase" and is ready to begin the commissioning of its four scientific instruments. The data they gather will improve our understanding of the role ...

First detection of negative ions on the moon

The first ESA instrument to land on the moon has detected the presence of negative ions on the lunar surface produced through interactions with the solar wind.

Mission complete for ESA's OPS-SAT flying laboratory

Launched on 18 December 2019, OPS-SAT was tasked with opening up the world of spacecraft operations to the widest possible audience. Its founding principle was to provide a fast, no-charge, non-bureaucratic experiment service ...

First metal 3D printing on International Space Station

One small s-curve deposited in liquefied stainless steel equals a giant leap forward for in-orbit manufacturing: This is the very first metal 3D printing aboard the International Space Station, which took place last Thursday, ...

Virtual flying lessons for Hera asteroid mission

As ESA's Hera spacecraft for planetary defense goes through pre-flight testing, the system that will steer it around its target binary asteroid system is also undergoing its final checks for space.

Video: Fly across Nili Fossae with ESA's Mars Express

Mars's surface is covered in all manner of scratches and scars. Its many marks include the fingernail scratches of Tantalus Fossae, the colossal canyon system of Valles Marineris, the oddly orderly ridges of Angustus Labyrinthus, ...

Successful engine test boosts Vega-C toward return-to-flight

The Zefiro-40 solid rocket motor, the second stage of the Vega-C rocket, was tested today by Vega-C prime contractor Avio at its Salto di Quirra test facility in Sardinia, Italy. The motor features an improved engine nozzle ...

Video: Unraveling the mysteries of clouds

Clouds are one of the biggest mysteries in the climate system. They play a key role in regulating the temperature of our atmosphere. But we don't know how their behavior will change over time as Earth's atmosphere gets warmer. ...

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