Astronomers recently discovered the 40 000th near-Earth asteroid! These space rocks range from a few metres to a few kilometres in size and are on orbits that bring them relatively close to Earth. Each new discovery is both a reminder of our planet’s vulnerability and a testament to how far the field of planetary defence has advanced in just a few decades. 

On 17 December 2025, two Galileo satellites will be launched by Arianespace on Ariane 6 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. This 14th operational launch in the Galileo programme will improve the precision, availability and robustness of the Galileo system. These satellites will benefit the billions of people who use Galileo daily via their smartphone as well as key sectors such as critical infrastructure, autonomous driving, air traffic, maritime, agriculture, emergency services and rescue operations. 

Today, the European Space Agency’s Argonaut lunar lander programme welcomes new members to its growing family. At ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany, Thales Alenia Space Italy – the prime contractor for Argonaut’s first lander – signed agreements with Thales Alenia Space in France, OHB in Germany, and Thales Alenia Space and Nammo in the United Kingdom.

The press conference, at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, follows the signing of contracts between Thales Alenia Space Italy, UK and France, OHB system AG (Germany) and Nammo (UK) for the ESA’s lunar lander programme Argonaut.

The programme is a key part of ESA’s lunar strategy and will support future robotic and crewed missions, contributing to international efforts to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.

Smile has passed its qualification and flight acceptance review, meaning that it meets all requirements for launch. The launch window has been set for 8 April to 7 May 2026.

The European Space Agency’s Navigation programmes are Europe’s driving force for performance, innovation and resilience in positioning, navigation and timing. At the upcoming ESA Ministerial Council (CM25), ESA Navigation presents a portfolio of activities designed to ensure that Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities remain reliable, competitive and strategically autonomous for decades to come.

Since becoming operational in 2016, Galileo has continued to evolve, introducing new capabilities and services to meet the needs of its over five billion users.

This December, two new Galileo satellites will launch aboard Ariane 6 - a major step for Europe’s autonomy and resilience in space.

And the journey doesn’t stop there: twelve Galileo Second Generation satellites are under construction, set to deliver even faster, more reliable positioning, navigation, and timing for everyone, everywhere.