Image: Tree planting for εpsilon

On 5 January 2026, the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, hosted a special tradition: the planting of an astronaut tree by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot in honour of her first mission to space, εpsilon. This symbolic gesture celebrates her achievements and future mission while reinforcing the deep connection between space explorers and the planet they call home. 

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Animation showing a possible interoperability application in orbit of payload deployment and retrieval operations with ESA’s reusable Space Rider. 

Space Rider is a versatile uncrewed robotic laboratory about the size of two minivans. This video shows operations of how Space Rider could fly to an orbital platform and deliver payloads using a robotic arm as well as retrieving other payloads to return them to Earth. In the near future platforms orbiting Earth could allow for cheap and efficient experimentation and research in the low Earth-orbit economy. Whereas Space Rider could stay in orbit for two months, by delivering

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 05, 2026
A new international assessment details how the January 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano in the South Pacific altered the stratosphere, atmospheric chemistry, and radiation while having only a small impact on global surface climate and the Antarctic ozone hole. The Hunga Volcanic Eruption Atmospheric Impacts Report, released under the Atmospheric Processes and their Rol

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 01, 2026
A recent study presents ACA-SIM, an atmospheric correction algorithm that uses satellite-in situ matchup data and neural networks to improve ocean color retrievals over coastal waters. The approach relies on real satellite radiance and in situ reflectance from Aerosol Robotic Network-Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) sites to reduce errors and striping artifacts in derived ocean color products, particula

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026
OPERA the Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis project was created in 2021 at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory to supply federal agencies with satellite products that match their highest priority data needs as identified by the interagency Satellite Needs Working Group convened by the White House Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Pol

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 01, 2026
Alen Space has completed the first demonstrator pilot campaign of VDES technology using its SATMAR satellite over the Bay of Algeciras in southern Spain. Over the past week, the company worked with Egatel and the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras to run several operational tests in a real maritime setting. In the first pilot, SATMAR supported message exchanges between a vessel and the

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026
The airliners of coming decades may feature long, slender wings that change the look of commercial aircraft while improving ride quality and cutting fuel use. Those high aspect ratio wings promise lower drag and better efficiency, but their increased flexibility introduces structural and control challenges that engineers must address before airlines can adopt them. As part of the Int

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 31, 2025
Researchers from Zhengzhou University, the University of Kent, and City University of Hong Kong have developed a framework to evaluate and optimize the spatiotemporal resilience of Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled unmanned system of systems operating in complex missions. The work responds to the growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned vehicles in hazardous environments where maintai

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026
Terran Orbital has been selected by Lockheed Martin to supply satellite bus platforms for the Space Development Agency's Tranche 3 Tracking Layer within the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Under this program, Lockheed Martin will deliver 18 space vehicles that provide missile warning, tracking, and defense functions for SDA's Tranche 3 Tracking Layer. Terran Orbital will supply