Category: ESA

The ozone layer in our upper atmosphere protects Earth from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. The use of human-produced chemicals in our atmosphere used for many years depleted Earth’s ozone layer. However, the reduction in the consumption of ozone-depleting substances driven by the Montreal Protocol – an international treaty designed to protect the ozone Read More

The Orion spacecraft with integrated European Service Module sit atop the Space Launch System, imaged at sunrise at historic Launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. The Flight Readiness Review has deemed the trio GO for launch, marking the dawn of a new era in space exploration. The first in a series of Read More

In brief The countdown has started for the first human-rated launch to the Moon in over half a century. ESA’s European Service Module will be powering the Orion spacecraft to our natural satellite and back. In-depth Watch the most powerful rocket ever built launch on 29 August from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. Read More

Drought causes Yangtze to shrink A record-breaking drought has caused parts of the Yangtze River to dry up – affecting hydropower, shipping routes, limiting drinking water supplies and even revealing previously submerged Buddhist statues. The Yangtze is China’s most important river, providing water to more than 400 million Chinese people. This summer, it has reached Read More

An agreement signed yesterday looks to extend the use of ESA space technology along European roads. The Agency’s Navigation Directorate has finalised a Memorandum of Intent with ERTICO, the organisation for the European Road Transport Telematics Implementation Coordination, a public-private partnership focused on the development, promotion and connection of intelligent road systems and services. Agreement Read More

Science & Exploration The 12-member crew of Concordia research station woke up to a most welcome sight in early August: sunrise, after four months of Antarctic darkness. The return of the sun is a major milestone for the isolated and confined crew; they are three-quarters of the way through their Antarctic residency and will soon Read More

We all wish that we could sometimes see into the future. Now, thanks to the very latest data from ESA’s star mapping Gaia mission, astronomers can do just that for the Sun. By accurately identifying stars of similar mass and composition, they can see how our Sun is going to evolve in the future. And Read More

The complex testing of space technology carried out at ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands requires precisely-maintained environmental control. This industrial chiller seen here, connected to black-insulated piping provides cold water throughout ESTEC’s Test Centre and laboratories, helping to maintain clean rooms and key test equipment at optimal temperatures. “Commissioned in 2017, this installation Read More

by ESA In brief A fireball spotted over Madrid has had its astronomical ancestry unearthed. While it ended its days burning up in Earth’s atmosphere on 31 July this year, the fragment began its life as part of Comet 169P/NEAT, responsible for the annual Alpha Capricornids meteor shower. In-depth Meteor showers occur as Earth passes Read More

Every 60 seconds the equivalent of a lorry-load of plastic enters the global ocean. Where does it end up? Right now, researchers simply don’t know. But in a bid to help find out, an ESA-led project developed floating transmitters whose passage can be tracked over time, helping in turn to guide a sophisticated software model Read More