ESA (unofficial)

Five explorers from three space agencies have successfully completed ESA’s CAVES training course in Italy.   The space under

Follow the total solar eclipse with the European Space Agency (ESA), in person or online. 
Join ESA for a total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026

Europe is in the middle of a heatwave – Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured this image on Tuesday 26 May
Hot surfaces during Europe's heatwave 'seen' by Sentinel-3

ESA will be broadcasting live as the European-Chinese Smile mission launches at 07:29 BST/08:29 CEST (03:29 local time) on 9 April 2026.Smile will launch on a European Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
How to follow the Smile launch live

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) newly released Space Economy Report gives a comprehensive overview of the latest developments shaping Europe's space sector. ESA releases 2026 Space Economy Report

Shrinking ice is arguably one of the most visible indicators of climate change – particularly in the Arctic.
Antarctica’s vanishing sea ice transforms marine life

The European Space Agency (ESA) will take part in the upcoming Munich Security Conference (MSC), one of the world’s leading forums for international security policy. ESA will engage global leaders at the Munich Security Conference 2026

This image of the Venetian Lagoon in northern Italy was acquired by the IRIDE satellites on 17 May 2026. Earth from Space: Venetian Lagoon

Launch of Crew-12 to the ISS Launch of Crew-12 to the ISS

On 28 March, the European Space Agency (ESA) took a major step forward in strengthening Europe's ambition for more resilient satellite navigation, as the first two satellites of the Celeste in-orbit demonstration mission lifted off from New Zealand a…
Celeste’s first satellites launched to explore LEO-based satellite navigation

The map is an interferogram derived from the comparison of Sentinel-1 data on two dates: on the 18 June before the earthquakes and on 25 June a day after. Sentinel-1 shows ground displacement after Venezuela earthquakes

The European Space Agency has contracted Spanish company EMXYS for the first CubeSat designed to operate on the surface of an asteroid. Surface CubeSat contracted for Ramses asteroid mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Republic of Poland have announced that a new ESA centre focusing on civil security and resilience will be located in Warsaw, supporting the efficient and coordinated development of European capabilities in thes… ESA and Poland to establish a new civil security and resilience centre in Warsaw

The Smile spacecraft lifted off on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 04:52 BST / 05:52 CEST (00:52 local time) on 19 May 2026.
Smile lifts off on quest to reveal Earth’s invisible shield against the solar wind

The launch of the 4DSpace-Daedalus mission in Norway is the latest success supported by Prodex, a European Space Agency (ESA) programme which enables highly skilled research institutes to partake in European space science activities and missions.
ESA’s Prodex programme brings scientific research to space

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features part of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in western Africa. Earth from Space: Guinea-Bissau

The second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I2) has begun its launch campaign, during which it will go through final inspections before being fitted inside the fairing of the Ariane 6 rocket that will launch it into space towards the e… Unpacking Europe’s new weather imagers

Another one: Ariane 6 flies with four boosters once more
Another one: Ariane 6 flies with four boosters once more

Plato's electronics ready for space Plato's electronics ready for space

Preparing Smile for space
Preparing Smile for space

The liquid iron in Earth’s outer core doesn’t always behave as expected. When it changed direction in an unexplained way, ESA satellites provided data on the direction of flow, helping scientists gain better insight into the dynamics at the centre of…
Insights into Earth’s molten outer core from space

Using the unprecedented imaging and spectroscopic power of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have mapped the motion and composition of gas orbiting a black hole in the centre of Abell2744-QSO1, a tiny galaxy more than 13 billio…
Webb reveals black hole that formed before its galaxy

The Meteosat Third Generation-Imager2 satellite sets sail from France to French Guiana
MTG-I2 embarks on journey to Europe’s Spaceport

This image, captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2, gives us a glimpse of Ecuador’s capital, Quito, sprawling for 40 km along this high-altitude valley in the Andes.
Earth from Space: Quito’s volcanic landscape

The 2026 ESA Graduate Trainee positions are now open! If you’re passionate about engineering, science, IT or business, this is your chance to turn your dreams into reality. Apply now to the ESA Graduate Trainee Programme

Yesterday, the four Artemis II astronauts visited ESA’s technical site in the Netherlands, where they met the team behind the European Service Module that powered their Orion spacecraft around the Moon and safely back to Earth. Artemis II astronauts visit ESA

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Australia’s southwestern corner in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia. Earth from Space: Agricultural patchwork

Géraldine Naja took up duty as Director of Space Transportation (D/STS) at the European Space Agency on 1 April 2026. Géraldine Naja takes up duty as Director of Space Transportation

A successful deep-space manoeuvre has put ESA’s Hera spacecraft on course for its rendezvous with the Didymos binary asteroid system later this year.
Hera on course for asteroid rendezvous

The sandy and rocky terrain of the Sahara desert in central Algeria is featured in these images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
Earth from Space: Algerian arid landscape

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher participated in the 21st edition of the GLOBSEC Forum, held from 21 to 23 May in Prague, Czechia, under the theme ‘The Global Systemic Transformation.
ESA at GLOBSEC 2026

Smile launch highlights
Smile launch highlights

After 12 years of exceptional service, the pioneering Copernicus Sentinel-1A radar satellite has reached the end of its mission. Time to say goodbye to Sentinel-1A

Euclid discovers the most ancient quasar in the Universe Euclid discovers the most ancient quasar in the Universe

Week in images: 13-17 July 2026

This month, ESA’s Mars Express takes us to Shalbatana Vallis: a fascinating martian valley surrounded by signs of water, lava, craters and chaos.
Waterworn chaos on Mars

Artemis II crew at ESTEC Artemis II crew at ESTEC

Part of the rugged and deeply indented coast of northeastern Greenland is featured in this radar image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1.
Earth from Space: Greenland's changing ice

From left to right, NASA astronauts Chrstina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, with ESA's European Service Module team behind them at ESTEC. European Service Module team meets Artemis II crew

ESA’s astronaut reserve members have completed their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) programme, marking a key milestone in Europe’s human spaceflight ambitions.
ESA astronaut reserve completes training programme

The Grand Canyon, a stunning natural feature in the landscape of Arizona, US, is featured in these two satellite views. Earth from Space: Grand Canyon, US

The European Space Agency is expanding its growing fleet of Earth-observing science Scout missions with the selection of two new satellites: Hibidis and SOVA-S.
Greenlight for next two ESA Scout missions

Inflight call with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot
Inflight call with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot

When the four astronauts of Artemis II lift off to travel towards the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, Europe will be travelling with them – not only through the European Service Module that powers their spacecraft, but also through teams of…
European eyes on Artemis

Discover the science behind one of nature's most extraordinary phenomena and experience a total solar eclipse with the European Space Agency (ESA), the City of León and the University of León. Watch the total solar eclipse with ESA in León

Operating across 140 million km of space, the control team for ESA’s Hera mission have succeeded in upgrading the software running the spacecraft, leaving it ready to explore the distant Dimorphos and Didymos asteroids this autumn. Deep space software upgrade for Hera’s asteroid visit