ESA > Our Activities > Space Engineering
Latest News
Global network to track Sun’s effect on Earth12 December 2012
Global network to track Sun’s effect on Earth12 December 2012 Next year the Sun enters the most active phase of its 11-year cycle. ESA is establishing a worldwide chain of monitoring stations to give a ringside seat to see how this solar activity affects our upper atmosphere, and assess the consequences for sate...
Europe dominating satellite startracker market16 November 2012
Europe dominating satellite startracker market16 November 2012 Like sailors of old, satellites in space take their bearings from the stars. Startrackers are an essential ingredient of space missions – and European companies dominate their commercial supply, benefiting from ESA’s long-term technical coordination.
ESA’s IXV reentry vehicle prepares for soft landing09 November 2012
ESA’s IXV reentry vehicle prepares for soft landing09 November 2012 Europe’s IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle is completing a series of descent and landing tests, including a full-scale splashdown planned for early next year, allowing the mission to move ahead towards launch in 2014.
Research cruise testing EGNOS satnav for ships01 November 2012
Research cruise testing EGNOS satnav for ships01 November 2012 A research vessel surveying European waters is also charting the maritime performance of Europe’s EGNOS satnav system. Results gathered by Belgium’s RV Belgica are investigating how EGNOS, initially prioritised for aircraft, can also guide marine traf...
Materials testing key to space successes31 October 2012
Materials testing key to space successes31 October 2012 Converting space missions from blueprints into solid reality raises a fundamental issue: what should they be made from? Answering that misleadingly simple question has spawned an entire technical domain, whose key figures gathered recently at ESA’s en...
Testing Mars and Moon soil for sheltering astronauts from radiation10 October 2012 Humans venturing beyond Earth orbit deeper into space face increased exposure to cosmic radiation, so ESA has teamed with Germany’s GSI particle accelerator to test potential shielding for astronauts, including Moon and Mars soil.
