ESA’s site for laser and quantum links marks 25 years

ESA’s Optical Ground Station, perched high on the slopes of Tenerife’s Mount Teide volcano, has now been peering skyward for a quarter of a century. Originally designed for laser-based communications with satellites, it is today additionally employed for tracking space debris and near-Earth asteroids as well as supporting world-class science: this year’s Physics Nobel Prize Read More

ESA – Forest Kids game on biodiversity now available

To mark World Children's Day, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched an online forest game for young children, developed with the support of ESA. Forest Kids game boreal forest The game, called Forest Kids, guides children on an expedition around the world and invites the virtual travellers to explore four types Read More

Presented by Entelgy Digital – ENAIRE wins award for its Cybersecurity Culture Training Programme

• ENAIRE is a "leader in cybersecurity awareness and collaborative success between Information and Communication Technologies and people" • ENAIRE's Cybersecurity, Systems and Campus units took part in the awareness campaign • The award recognises the dedication of the professionals to this training photo caption: Gerardo Sarmiento Head of Cybersecurity and Maite García Guillén Head Read More

NOAA adopts Finland’s CubeSat-proven space weather monitor

An advanced X-ray monitoring instrument tested for space aboard an ESA CubeSat will serve as an operational space weather payload on the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Next Lagrange 1 Series satellite, currently planned for launch in 2028, which will operate 1.5 million km from Earth, keeping watch for eruptions from our Read More

Webb draws back curtain on Universe’s early galaxies

The powerful NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has found an unexpectedly rich ‘undiscovered country’ of early galaxies that has been largely hidden until now. A few days after officially starting science operations, Webb propelled astronomers into a realm of early galaxies, previously hidden beyond the grasp of all other telescopes. Webb is now unveiling a Read More

Irish firm to deliver software for Gateway

An Irish tech company is set to develop systems to support operations on a planned lunar space station that will enable regular trips to the Moon, as well as expeditions further into deep space. Dublin-based Skytek will deliver software to help crews complete activities – such as science experiments and maintenance tasks – on board Read More

Antenna to link up CubeSat chains

Many small satellites might in the future do the same – or better – job as their single big equivalent. With that approach in mind, this high-frequency steerable antenna has been designed to link together orbital chains of shoebox-sized CubeSats. CubeSats are mini-satellites built up from standardised 10 cm boxes, initially developed for educational uses Read More

Pushing the boundaries of space

Space is delivering more accurate, more precise and more varied data than ever before. State-of-the-art digital technologies, such as Digital Twins of Earth and High Performance Computing, are enabling faster and more complex calculations, allowing us to replicate the Earth system, its climate and life on our planet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDx0XtLxXU ESA is exploiting digital technologies and Read More