ESA in depth

Central and eastern Europe make history with small satellites

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:05:00 GMT

The first satellites entirely designed and built by Hungary, Poland, Romania are now orbiting Earth after today’s successful maiden flight of ESA's small Vega launcher.

Planck steps closer to the cosmic blueprint

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

ESA’s Planck mission has revealed that our Galaxy contains previously undiscovered islands of cold gas and a mysterious haze of microwaves. These results give scientists new treasure to mine and take them closer to revealing the blueprint of cosmic structure.

ESA tracks powerful storm make landfall

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:44:00 GMT

ESA’s Envisat satellite has captured images of Tropical Cyclone Giovanna as the storm hit the west coast of Madagascar this morning, bringing certain devastation to the island.

Maser rocket experiments sounding good

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:20:00 GMT

Five experiments on a Maser rocket were launched from northern Sweden today. Faster than most people take a coffee break, Maser-12 travelled 250 km upwards, provided six precious minutes of microgravity, and landed safely back on Earth.

ESA’s new Vega launcher scores success on maiden flight

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:20:00 GMT

PR 3 2012 - Vega, ESA’s new launch vehicle, is ready to operate alongside the Ariane 5 and Soyuz launchers after a successful qualification flight this morning from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Vega liftoff

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:54:00 GMT

The first Vega, flight VV01, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on its way to carry nine satellites into orbit.

Final ‘go’ for Vega launch

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:05:00 GMT

Vega is all set for launch on Monday. The new launcher passed its final hurdle on Saturday at Europe’s Spaceport, the Launch Readiness Review, and is ready for liftoff.

Could Venus be shifting gear?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:10:00 GMT

ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft has discovered that our cloud-covered neighbour spins a little slower than previously measured. Peering through the dense atmosphere in the infrared, the orbiter found surface features were not quite where they should be.

Watch ‘Mountains of snow’ on the Earth from Space programme

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Discover more about our planet with the Earth from Space video programme. Join us every Friday at 10:00 CET for an 800 km-high tour with spectacular images from Earth-observing satellites.

Watch the replay

SMOS water mission turns hurricane hunter

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:17:00 GMT

ESA’s Earth Explorers have again shown how they are surpassing expectations. Designed to map soil moisture and ocean salinity, the versatile SMOS satellite has demonstrated that it can also offer unique information to improve hurricane forecasts.

Rockot to launch two Sentinel satellites

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:20:00 GMT

ESA and Eurockot today signed contracts for launching two ESA satellites: Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-3A will fly in 2013 on Rockot vehicles from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia for Europe’s GMES programme.

Saturn's Rings and Enceladus

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT

A crescent Enceladus appears with Saturn’s rings in this Cassini spacecraft view of the moon.

Europe’s ATV space ferry set for launch to Space Station

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:04:00 GMT

Fuel, water, oxygen, air and most of the dry cargo have been loaded into ESA's third Automated Transfer Vehicle, Edoardo Amaldi, as the 9 March liftoff approaches.

MSG ground controllers plug into satellite for live test

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:08:00 GMT

An intensive, two-day test of the third Meteosat Second Generation satellite saw ESA mission controllers in Germany connecting their computers to the satellite at a manufacturing facility in France. The test was a milestone in the lead up to launch this summer.

Astronauts seen and heard: satcoms for the Space Station

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:51:00 GMT

Seeing ESA astronaut André Kuipers on the International Space Station is a regular occurrence these days. You turn on your TV or check Twitter and there he is. Since there are no cables trailing from the Station to Earth, just how does this happen?

ESA's Mars Express radar gives strong evidence for former Mars ocean

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT

ESA's Mars Express has returned strong evidence for an ocean once covering part of Mars. Using radar, it has detected sediments reminiscent of an ocean floor within the boundaries of previously identified, ancient shorelines on Mars.

CryoSat breaks the ice with ocean currents

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:50:00 GMT

Ocean measurements from ESA’s CryoSat mission are being exploited by the French space agency CNES to provide global ocean observation products in near-real time. Understanding sea-surface currents is important for marine industries and protecting ocean environments.

Augmented reality promises astronauts instant medical knowhow

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:25:00 GMT

A new augmented reality unit developed by ESA can provide just-in-time medical expertise to astronauts. All they need to do is put on a head-mounted display for 3D guidance in diagnosing problems or even performing surgery.

European training for Russian cosmonauts

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:12:00 GMT

In the spirit of the international nature of the International Space Station, ESA’s Astronaut Training Division not only welcomes European astronauts: four Russian cosmonauts are also working hard at the European Astronaut Centre this month.

Mars Express reveals wind-blown deposits on Mars

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

New images from ESA’s Mars Express show the Syrtis Major region on Mars. Once thought to be a sea of water, the region is now known to be a volcanic province dating back billions of years.

Mission X: are you fit for space?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:23:00 GMT

“We are fun, we are strong and we are enthusiastic, we are going to win Mission X!” claimed one school at the Mission X launch. They will have their work cut out, judging by the eagerness of other schoolchildren across Europe.

Watch ‘Shanghai waters’ on the Earth from Space programme

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Discover more about our planet with the Earth from Space video programme. Join us every Friday at 10:00 CET for an 800 km-high tour with spectacular images from Earth-observing satellites.

Watch the replay

Vega set for its inaugural flight

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:28:00 GMT

PR 2 2012 - On 13 February, the European Space Agency will perform the first qualification flight of its brand new Vega launch vehicle.

Eight more Galileo navsats agreed

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:07:00 GMT

ESA today signed a contract to build a further eight Galileo satellites, alongside other agreements to modify Europe’s Ariane 5 launcher to carry four navigation satellites at a time.

Call for Media: briefing on new results from ESA Planck mission

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Media representatives are invited to a briefing on new observations of the Milky Way and other galaxies by ESA's Planck mission.

Watch the replay: Earth from Space – special edition

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Discover more about our planet with the Earth from Space video programme. In this special edition, Professor Volker Liebig, Director of ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes, joins the show to discuss Earth observation for the coming year.

Watch the replay

Toulouse Space Show: call for papers

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:04:00 GMT

ESA is a partner in the Toulouse Space Show being held 25–28 June. Experts from all over the world will gather for conferences on space applications, antenna technology and more. Papers are invited for presentation at the conferences; the closing date for submission of abstracts is 15 February.

Voyage to the most isolated base on Earth

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:33:00 GMT

Alexander Kumar, the next ESA-sponsored crewmember to stay in Concordia, has arrived safely at the research base in Antarctica. The voyage to one of the remotest places on Earth takes even longer than the voyage to the International Space Station.

First Vega rocket assembled on launch pad

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:49:00 GMT

ESA’s new Vega rocket is now fully assembled on its launch pad. Final preparations are in full swing for the rocket’s inaugural flight from Europe’s Spaceport. The launch window opens on 9 February.

Robot competition in zero-gravity

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:10:00 GMT

School teams from Europe and America have been commanding robots competing in the Spheres ZeroRobotics tournament in space. The arena: 400 km above Earth on the International Space Station.

Opening of UK site producing the heart of Galileo

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:04:00 GMT

The first Galileo satellites are already in orbit, with more on the way. Today ESA’s Director General and the UK’s Universities and Science Minister attended the grand opening of the facility where navigation payloads for the next batch of Galileo satellites are being built.

Solar storm heading toward Earth

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:11:00 GMT

A large solar flare yesterday triggered a coronal mass ejection travelling at 1400 km/s that will reach Earth today. An energetic eruption of this level can disrupt satellites, so operation teams at ESA and other organisations are closely monitoring the storm.

The two faces of Titan's dunes

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

A new analysis of radar data from the international Cassini spacecraft has revealed regional variations amongst Titan's sand dunes. The result yields new clues to the giant moon's climatic and geological history.

Satellites detect abundance of fresh water in the Arctic

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT

ESA satellites show that a large dome of fresh water has been building up in the Arctic Ocean over the last 15 years. A change in wind direction could cause the water to spill into the north Atlantic, cooling Europe.

Greenhouse in space results and conclusions

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:42:00 GMT

During the MagISStra mission, ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli attempted to grow plants in space using a miniature greenhouse. Simultaneously, schoolchildren and the crew of Mars500 ran the same educational experiment to compare plant growth.

ESA guides global satnav augmentation gathering

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:48:00 GMT

Programme managers and technical experts overseeing four of the world’s regional satellite navigation augmentation systems met this week, with ESA coordinating the participation of stakeholders in Europe’s own EGNOS system.

European finalists selected in Space Lab student competition

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:25:00 GMT

Sixty space experiment proposals have been selected as finalists in the YouTube Space Lab student science competition, co-sponsored by ESA. Judges must now select the two top entries to be flown on the International Space Station.

A New View of an Icon

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Eagle Nebula as never seen before. In 1995, the Hubble Space Telescope's 'Pillars of Creation' image of the Eagle Nebula became one of the most iconic images of the 20th century. Now, two of ESA's orbiting observatories have shed new light on this enigmatic star-forming region.

Planck's HFI completes its survey of early Universe

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The High Frequency Instrument on ESA's Planck mission has completed its survey of the remnant light from the Big Bang. The sensor ran out of coolant on Saturday as expected, ending its ability to detect this faint energy.

'I'll go where your music takes me...'

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:29:00 GMT

Music has accompanied humans into space since the earliest years of spaceflight. Music and space, it seems, have a deep association, with some pieces becoming permanently connected with space in popular culture.

Dutch Prime Minister ‘phones’ André Kuipers in space

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:08:00 GMT

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, and students from the Technical University of Delft recently enjoyed speaking with ESA astronaut André Kuipers about life on the International Space Station during a live event.

Preparations under way for IGARSS 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:01:00 GMT

One of the biggest conferences on geoscience and remote sensing will be held this summer in Europe. The deadline for abstract submissions for the July symposium is fast approaching.

Ice data at your fingertips

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:12:00 GMT

Discover ESA’s ice mission, track it in real time and obtain the latest measurements with the new CryoSat application. CryoSat is measuring the thickness of polar sea ice and monitoring changes in the ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica.

Happy New Year from space!

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:00:00 GMT

An out-of-this-world Season's Greetings from the astronauts aboard the International Space Station, including ESA's André Kuipers.

Watch online

Europe’s navigation pioneer GIOVE-A celebrates sixth birthday in space

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:07:00 GMT

GIOVE-A, ESA’s prototype navigation satellite, remains operational after six years in space.

ESA astronaut André Kuipers arrives at the Space Station

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:00:00 GMT

ESA astronaut André Kuipers and crewmates Oleg Kononeko and Don Pettit docked today with the International Space Station in their Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft. They will work aboard the Station now for five months and return to Earth in May.

CryoSat ice satellite rides new waves

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:37:00 GMT

ESA’s CryoSat mission has been gathering detailed information on the thickness of Earth’s ice since its launch in 2010. Through international collaboration, this state-of-the-art mission is soon to be used to monitor conditions at sea for marine forecasting.

First Galileo satellite producing full spectrum of signals

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:57:00 GMT

Europe’s first Galileo satellite appears in blooming health, transmitting test signals received by ESA’s ground station in Redu, Belgium across the whole of its assigned radio spectrum.

Season’s greetings from the other extreme

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 07:00:00 GMT

It is summer in Antarctica and the new crew for the Concordia research station will soon arrive. And since the place is second only to space for harsh conditions, they have been trained courtesy of ESA.

Steering aircraft with satellites: EGNOS extends its reach

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:31:00 GMT

More European aircraft will benefit from air traffic control guidance coming from above as use of the EGNOS Safety-of-Life signal for aviation is set to extend from France and Switzerland to the UK and Germany.

Earth observation empowers African scientists to improve water management

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

With many African countries suffering from a lack of water, ESA’s TIGER initiative has built capacity to map this precious resource. This new knowledge is making a practical difference and paving the way to sustainable water management practices.

ESA astronaut André Kuipers on his way to the International Space Station

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:00:00 GMT

PR 37 2011 - After their launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 13:16 GMT (14:16 CET) today, ESA astronaut André Kuipers and crewmates Oleg Kononenko and Don Pettit are circling Earth every 90 minutes aboard the Soyuz TMA-3M spacecraft as they make their way to the International Space Station.

Satellites can help to grow the perfect grape

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:21:00 GMT

A little water is needed to make wine, but how do you know when enough is enough? ESA’s GrapeLook service can give you the answer.

SMOS versatility offers sea ice mapping

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:48:00 GMT

ESA’s SMOS mission is proving to be extremely versatile. Not only does this pioneering satellite offer crucial data on soil moisture and ocean salinity, but it can also map the thickness of ice floating in the polar seas.

André’s rocket rolled out

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:42:00 GMT

The Christmas season has brought the gift of a Soyuz launcher for the PromISSe mission. ESA’s André Kuipers and his crewmates are running their final simulations and preparing to board the rocket on Wednesday to head towards the International Space Station.

Star images helping to save Vatican books

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Antique books in the Vatican Library are being digitised to preserve them for future generations using a technique developed through ESA to store satellite images of the sky.

Two GMES satellites to be launched on Europe’s new Vega rocket

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:17:00 GMT

ESA and Arianespace have signed contracts for the launches of two of ESA’s Sentinel satellites. Arianespace will launch Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-3B on Europe’s new Vega rocket from French Guiana.

Vega to fly ESA experimental reentry vehicle

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:15:00 GMT

The launch of ESA’s IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle on Europe’s new Vega rocket is now in detailed planning, a major step towards the craft’s flight in 2014.

Young star rebels against its parent cloud

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 has captured this image of a giant cloud of hydrogen gas illuminated by a bright young star. The image shows how violent the end stages of the star-formation process can be, with the young object shaking up its stellar nursery.

André’s blog: from doctor to guinea pig

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:42:00 GMT

ESA astronaut André Kuipers has spent many months preparing for his next mission – travelling, training, stuck in quarantine and a guinea pig for medical experiments. For the last six months, André has been writing a blog in his native Dutch, but now entries are also available in English.

ESA Director General to meet the press in Paris

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:30:00 GMT

PR 36 2011 - On Monday 9 January, ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain will meet the press at the traditional start-of-year gathering at ESA's headquarters in Paris.

Vega moves closer to its first liftoff

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:36:00 GMT

The integration of Vega’s first, second and third stages is now complete at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The new rocket is moving full speed ahead towards its maiden flight at the end of January.

First laser measurements of Europe's Galileo satellites made from Chile

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

The first laser ranging of Europe's new Galileo navigation satellites has been achieved from Concepción in Chile. Laser contact with the satellites at an altitude of 23 230 km has provided distance measurements with subcentimetre accuracy.

The beginning of the end for comet Lovejoy

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:00:00 GMT

The SOHO spaceborne solar observatory today captured comet Lovejoy in its field of view for the first time, indicating that the icy body is on its final destructive plunge towards the Sun.

SMOS detects freezing soil as winter takes grip

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:35:00 GMT

ESA’s SMOS satellite is designed to observe soil moisture and ocean salinity, but this innovative mission is showing that it can also offer new insight into Earth’s carbon and methane cycles by mapping soil as it freezes and thaws.

Galileo in tune: first navigation signal transmitted to Earth

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:22:00 GMT

Europe’s Galileo system has passed its latest milestone, transmitting its very first test navigation signal back to Earth.

ESA signs contract for Space Station support

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:53:00 GMT

ESA signed a two-year contract with Astrium on 13 December to provide Industrial Operations Team support to the Agency’s human spaceflight activities.

Call for Media: Follow the launch of ESA astronaut André Kuipers

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:15:00 GMT

PR 35 2011 - ESA astronaut André Kuipers is scheduled for launch to the International Space Station on 21 December. Media are invited to cover the event via ESA TV or ESA's web site or attend one of the ESA events in the Netherlands and Germany.

André is ‘go for launch’ and has arrived at Baikonur

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:42:00 GMT

ESA astronaut André Kuipers is now officially ready for liftoff on 21 December: he and his crewmates have passed their final exams and left for the launch site yesterday. Along with André’s plane, his PromISSe mission blog also took off yesterday.

Antarctic expedition checks CryoSat down-under

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:37:00 GMT

Next week marks 100 years since Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole. As a team of scientists brave the Antarctic to validate data from ESA’s CryoSat mission, it’s hard to imagine what these first intrepid explorers would have thought of today’s advances in polar science.

ESA selects Astrium to build Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:06:00 GMT

Furthering Europe’s capacity to monitor atmospheric pollution, ESA has awarded a contract worth €45.5 million to Astrium UK to act as prime contractor for the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite system.

SMOS maps Europe’s dry autumn soils

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:44:00 GMT

Dry soil resulting from Europe’s exceptionally warm and dry autumn is being monitored by ESA’s SMOS water mission. The images here show the stark comparison between soil moisture in November 2010 and November 2011.

Getting ready for Sentinel-2

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:02:00 GMT

The deadline for abstract submissions for the April 2012 symposium on the Sentinel-2 satellite is just around the corner.

European ministers emphasise the role of space for the security of Europe and its citizens

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:03:00 GMT

PR 34 2011 - Meeting in Brussels today, the 29 ministers of the ESA-EU Space Council underlined the importance of space systems for security. They drew attention to the role of satellite systems - particularly Galileo, EGNOS and GMES - as the backbone for improving Europe's response to emergencies.

Antarctic ice sheet assures SMOS accuracy

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:14:00 GMT

A remarkable ESA campaign in one of the remotest regions on Earth has been fundamental in ensuring that the SMOS mission is delivering reliable data to improve our understanding of Earth’s water cycle.

ESA’s Sentinel-2 shapes up for testing

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:18:00 GMT

An important milestone has been reached in the development of Sentinel-2. The satellite platform has been delivered to Germany where it will be integrated and tested with the various components that make up this sophisticated new craft to monitor Earth’s land surfaces.

Climate talks underway in South Africa

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:57:00 GMT

International delegates are convening in South Africa for this year’s UN Climate Change Conference. ESA representatives are attending the talks to stress the importance of continuing climate observations from space.

Redu trains big dish on Galileo satellites

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:39:00 GMT

Launched in October, Europe’s first two Galileo navigation satellites orbit Earth about every 14 hours. As they transmit over Europe, ESA’s Redu centre in Belgium is ready to receive and analyse their signals.

Satellites respond to humanitarian needs

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:23:00 GMT

A review of crisis response using Earth observation techniques is now available online. The Respond Atlas outlines global events where remote sensing assisted in preparing for and responding to disasters and humanitarian crises.

Mission-X: train like an astronaut in 2012

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:00:00 GMT

ESA astronaut André Kuipers is inviting thousands of schoolchildren to perform physical activities and to learn about healthy nutrition to compete with teams from around the world to become as fit as astronauts. Mission-X kicks off again in February!

ESA calls for EarthCARE Mission Advisory Group members

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:28:00 GMT

ESA’s cloud, aerosol and radiation mission, EarthCARE, is about to enter its Detailed Definition Phase (Phase C). As part of this development process, ESA has released a call for Mission Advisory Group members for the mission.

Space and its benefits for citizens and society: A top priority for Europe

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:09:00 GMT

After the recent launch of the first Galileo satellites – an event of paramount political importance for Europe – politicians, policymakers, space agency managers, industrialists, satellite operators and members of civil society gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels on 8–9 November for the 4th Conference on EU Space Policy.

International consensus on joint space exploration

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:11:00 GMT

PR 31 2011 - Representatives from 28 countries, the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) met in Lucca, Italy, on 10 November for the Third International Conference on Exploration and the first High-level International Space Exploration Platform.

Brazil joins the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:26:00 GMT

In the year that severe flooding and landslides claimed over 800 lives in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil has joined the international space organisation that makes timely satellite data available to rescue authorities during disasters.

Clear forecast for weather-monitoring mission

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:10:00 GMT

International partners are looking ahead to Europe's second polar-orbiting mission dedicated to operational meteorology – MetOp-B is set for launch next May.

International rendezvous in Lucca on global space exploration

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:04:00 GMT

Discussions will focus on space exploration when ministers and heads of agencies of most of the world’s space-faring countries rendezvous on Thursday in Lucca, Italy.

Welcome back and thank you, Mars500

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:00:00 GMT

The record-breaking simulated mission to Mars has ended with smiling faces after 17 months. Mars500’s six brave volunteers stepped out of their ‘spacecraft’ today to be welcomed by the waiting scientists – happy that the venture had worked even better than expected.

A global discussion: directions for space science research

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Understanding osteoporosis, perfecting vaccines and developing new alloys all share one thing: they are just some of the many scientific fields that have advanced significantly through research performed in space.

Mars500 crew prepare to open the hatch

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:00:00 GMT

The 520 days of isolation for the Mars500 crew will end on 4 November, when the hatch of their ‘spacecraft’ is opened for the first time since June last year. Scientists eagerly await the final samples as the crew count the hours to liberty.

Swarm: magnetic field satellites get their bearings

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:27:00 GMT

ESA’s Swarm satellites, which will unravel the complexities of Earth’s magnetic shield, are being put through their paces to ensure that they will withstand the rigours of space. Marking an important milestone, the first satellite has undergone magnetic testing.

Mission accomplished: cave crew returns to Earth

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:16:00 GMT

Take five astronauts and instead of sending them into space take them underground. ESA’s CAVES venture prepares astronauts to work in an international team under real exploration conditions. The latest ‘crew’ has returned after six days in the dark.

CryoSat rocking and rolling

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:13:00 GMT

ESA’s ice satellite is rolling left and right in orbit to help it continue its precise measurements of the vast ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica.

Greenland and the Netherlands look to CryoSat for answers on ice

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:00:00 GMT

As the impact of climate change is felt in the Arctic, ESA’s CryoSat ice mission is highlighted as a source of vital information at an exhibition in the Netherlands opened by HRH the Prince of Orange.

Soyuz ready with Galileo satellites for milestone launch

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 06:36:00 GMT

PR 28 2011 - International space cooperation will be highlighted in a historic event on 20 October: the launch of Europe’s first Galileo navigation satellites on Russia’s first Soyuz rocket to depart from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

ESA joins YouTube Space Lab student space competition

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Today, ESA joins the launch of 'YouTube Space Lab', an exciting campaign initiated by YouTube, NASA, Space Adventures and Lenovo that challenges students around the world to design a science experiment for the International Space Station.

Call for media: Mars500, welcome back to Earth

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT

ESA PR 27 2011 - Since June last year, the six crewmembers of a simulated mission to Mars have been isolated in a special facility near Moscow. They will ‘arrive back on Earth’ on 4 November and go into quarantine for four days for medical checks. Media are invited to meet the crew at a press conference on 8 November in Moscow.

ESA finds that Venus has an ozone layer too

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:00:00 GMT

ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft has discovered an ozone layer high in the atmosphere of Venus. Comparing its properties with those of the equivalent layers on Earth and Mars will help astronomers refine their searches for life on other planets.

Very southern science at Concordia

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Antarctica is a place of extremes: isolated, cold and dark during the southern winter. In short, it is a perfect location for unique science. ESA is again asking European scientists to submit ideas for research projects at Concordia station.

The washable wearable antenna

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Wearing an antenna is making a splash in the world of search and rescue.

ESA keeps watch on weather

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:32:00 GMT

The 8th International Weather Forum is set to open in Paris, France. The five-day event offers exhibitions and educational workshops to visitors on the subjects of weather and climate, energy, environment, water and space.