Copernical Team
Celeste: Countdown to Launch 1
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On 25 March, the first two satellites of the Celeste in-orbit demonstration mission will lift off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand.
Celeste will play a pioneering role in elevating the future of Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities.
As ESA’s initiative for satellite navigation in low Earth orbit (LEO-PNT), the mission will be testing next-generation technologies and add new frequency bands for satellite navigation to inform the deployment of a future European operational navigation system in low Earth orbit.
The mission will begin with two demonstrator satellites, IOD1-2, to secure and test the
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Using fiber-optic cables to detect moonquakes
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Hubble unexpectedly catches comet breaking up
Comet K1, whose full name is Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), had just passed its closest approach to the Sun and was heading out of the Solar System. Though it had been intact just days before, K1 fragmented into at least four pieces while the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope was watching. The odds of that happening while Hubble viewed the comet are extraordinarily miniscule.
OHB Sweden to build Sterna weather constellation
Thanks to the success of the Arctic Weather Satellite prototype and Eumetsat’s recent greenlight to develop a full constellation of similar satellites called Sterna, the European Space Agency has awarded OHB Sweden with the contract to build 20 satellites.
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ESA Impact: our story so far this year
ESA Impact: our story so far this year
Seven-ton meteor that fell from the Cleveland sky could be seen several states away
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Suspected meteor falling over Cleveland could be seen several states away
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ESA astronauts on the International Space Station
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ESA astronauts on the International Space Station A stellar year for talent: more than 400 job opportunities in 2026
With more than 400 positions to be published in 2026, the European Space Agency has launched a recruitment drive to support ESA’s programmes, missions and strategic initiatives following the 2025 Ministerial Council in Bremen. To help make these projects a reality, we will be recruiting many new colleagues in engineering and science, as well as support services! Your next big opportunity could be here, so read on to find out more. You can also set up a job alert to be the first one to know when opportunities are published.