ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski will conduct a variety of science experiments and technology demonstrations during the Ignis mission. While the International Space Station is a home away from Earth for astronauts, it is, above all, a state-of-the-art laboratory in orbit. Its unique microgravity environment allows researchers to study phenomena that are impossible to replicate on our planet. 

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The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES), ESA’s state-of-the-art timekeeping facility, is now installed on the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station. This still image, captured by external cameras on the Station, shows ACES after installation. For 25 years, cameras on the Station have documented activities in orbit, providing real-time views of operations like this one – a rare and remarkable perspective from space. 

On 25 April, the Canadian Space Agency’s robotic arm carefully extracted ACES from the SpaceX Dragon trunk and secured it onto the Columbus External Payload Facility, next to ESA’s space storm hunter ASIM

The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES), ESA’s state-of-the-art timekeeping facility, has been successfully installed on the International Space Station, marking the start of a new chapter in space-based precision science. 

On 19 April 2025, ESA marks the 21st anniversary of KUBIK, an incubator for biological samples in space. This versatile and enduring facility has advanced our understanding of biology in space for the last two decades.

Jiuquan, China (AFP) April 24, 2025
A Chinese rocket carrying three astronauts to the country's space station blasted off from its remote launch site Thursday, the latest milestone in Beijing's race to become a leading celestial power. Beijing has pumped billions of dollars into its space programme in recent years in an effort to achieve what President Xi Jinping describes as the Chinese people's "space dream". The world's

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 24, 2025
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a key provider of launch services and space systems, has secured a new contract to launch a full-scale hypersonic test flight on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense. The mission, commissioned by Kratos under the MACH-TB 2.0 initiative, will utilize Rocket Lab's HASTE vehicle and is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia,

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 24, 2025
A new astronomical survey led by the University of Kansas using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has delivered fresh insight into galaxy evolution during the universe's peak star-forming era known as "cosmic noon," which occurred roughly 2 to 3 billion years after the Big Bang. The MIRI EGS Galaxy and AGN (MEGA) survey reveals that half of all the stars in today's galaxies were born d

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
A team of Australian scientists has harnessed the flickering of a nearby pulsar to map invisible plasma structures within our local galactic neighborhood, offering unprecedented insight into the turbulent medium between stars. This achievement, made using the MeerKAT radio telescope, illuminates the plasma dynamics inside a rare bow shock structure and redefines our understanding of the Local Bu

Washington DC (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
NASA's PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission successfully completed spacecraft commissioning this week, opening its instrument doors to capture "first light," the mission's first images of the Sun's outer atmosphere and the surrounding space. This is the first step in revealing new details of how the solar atmosphere unfolds and streams through the solar system. Now, mi

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
A cutting-edge holographic imaging device named ELVIS is now aboard the International Space Station, poised to transform the study of life in space. Officially known as the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System, ELVIS is designed to deliver advanced three-dimensional views of microorganisms and cells, providing critical insights into how life endures in the harsh conditions beyond Earth. D