ESA Impact 2026 - April-June
Welcome to ESA Impact, your interactive gateway to the most captivating stories and stunning visuals from the European Space Agency, now in a mobile-friendly format. Just scroll down through it to see – and read about – our selection!
This quarter saw a major step in human spaceflight as ESA’s Orion European Service Module powered Artemis II, a return to the Moon that showcases the strength of the European space industry. We also delve into the development of a next-generation microchip for telecommunications and Earth observation, as well as new insights from Juice’s encounter with the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Several launches also featured, including the first Celeste navigation satellites, additions to Italy’s IRIDE constellation and CubeSats testing new data transfer and processing capabilities. Meanwhile, the SMILE mission made progress in studying the Sun-Earth connection, and the period closes with the announcement of ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot for the Artemis III mission.
You’ll find more issues of ESA Impact here: ESA Impact