Copernical Team
Ariane 6 and Vega-C over Earth (artist impression)
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Ariane 6 and Vega-C over Earth (artist impression) Hellenic Fire System moves a step closer to launch
Following the launch of two radar satellites for Greece at the end of last year, four infrared imaging satellites dedicated to detecting and monitoring wildfires across the country are now being prepared for launch this spring. As part of the final preparations, these four CubeSats have recently undergone magnetic cleaning at the European Space Agency’s facilities in the Netherlands.
The radiation paradox: why solar maximum is the safest time to travel to Mars
When packing your spacecraft for a return trip to Mars, it would be better to launch during a period of maximum solar activity.
ESA analysing fireball over Europe on 8 March 2026
At approximately 18:55 CET (17:55 UTC) on Sunday 8 March 2026, a very bright fireball moving from the southwest to the northeast was observed by many people in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Smile arrives at Europe’s Spaceport
The Smile spacecraft has arrived at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. During the coming weeks, the spacecraft will go through final preparations for its launch on a Vega-C rocket between 8 April and 7 May.
"She flies satellites. One day, I can too."
At ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), teams work around the clock to fly spacecraft across the Solar System and monitor Earth from orbit. Among them are women leading spacecraft operations, managing teams and helping shape the culture of ESA’s mission control.
Changing the Rules Mid-Race - How Artemis Lets Washington Redefine "Winning" at the Moon - Part 4
In classic Washington style, the United States has found a way to keep 'winning' the new Moon race even as its flagship program slips, bloats and mutates. With the latest Artemis overhaul, NASA isn't just re-planning a mission sequence - it's helping Trump's America quietly rewrite the rules of the game so that almost any outcome can be spun as victory. Apollo Cosplay on a 21st-Century Clock - Why Artemis Keeps Slipping Toward 2029 - Part 3
NASA's latest reboot of the Artemis Moon program comes with familiar language: 'back to basics,' 'muscle memory,' 'step-by-step,' and an explicit nod to the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo playbook. The agency wants to fly more often, change hardware less, and build up capability incrementally, just like the 1960s. The problem is that Artemis is trying to cosplay Apollo in a world with very different politics, partners and rivals - and the gaps are showing. Hostage to the Moon - How Artemis Became Industrial Welfare in a Space Suit - Part 2
NASA says it has finally found the "back to basics" recipe to get Americans back on the Moon by 2028. A new intermediate mission, standardized hardware, a faster launch cadence: on paper, the Artemis overhaul looks like a sober course correction after years of drift. Course Correction or Controlled Crash? Inside NASA's Artemis Overhaul - Part 1
NASA says it has finally found the 'back to basics' recipe to get Americans back on the Moon by 2028. A new intermediate mission, standardized hardware, a faster launch cadence: on paper, the Artemis overhaul looks like a sober course correction after years of drift. Look a little closer, though, and the same changes read like a managed soft-landing for a program that is structurally broken and