Whether sending European spacecraft to distant frontiers, studying our home planet in greater detail than ever before, or designing new launch systems, ESA activities drive the development of new technologies.

Video: 00:02:56

Meet Hera, our very own asteroid detective. Together with two CubeSats – Milani the rock decoder and Juventas the radar visionary – Hera is off on an adventure to explore Didymos, a double asteroid system that is typical of the thousands that pose an impact risk to planet Earth.

Suitable for kids and adults alike, this episode of ‘The Incredible Adventures of Hera’ details the miniaturised James-Bond-style technology that Hera and its CubeSats will carry aboard with them to explore their asteroid target.

Beijing, China (SPX) Oct 26, 2022
An international research team has analyzed measurements from the TanSat mission and the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor mission to identify carbon dioxide from human activities. This is the first attempt to use TanSat measurements to detect anthropogenic, or human-caused, carbon dioxide emission signatures. Quantifying anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions is one of the most important requirem

Washington DC (SPX) Oct 24, 2022
NASA has selected 16 individuals to participate in its independent study team on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). Observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or as known natural phenomena are categorized as UAPs. The independent study will begin on Monday, Oct. 24. Over the course of nine months, the independent study team will lay the groundwork for future

Beijing (XNA) Oct 25, 2022
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the country's leading space contractor, will continue to invest in major space programs such as the manned lunar missions and the development of a super-heavy carrier rocket, said the company's chairman. Chairman Wu Yansheng told reporters on Saturday that his company has set three goals for its future development - upgrading the existing rocket

Beijing (XNA) Oct 26, 2022
China's Mengtian space lab module and its carrier - a Long March 5B rocket - were moved to a service tower on Tuesday morning to undergo final tests before their planned flight in the coming days, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The agency said in a brief news release that prelaunch preparation work is underway at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southernmost island prov

Washington DC (UPI) Oct 25, 2021
The International Space Station adjusted its orbit Monday night to avoid space debris, NASA said. "This evening, the International Space Station's Progress 81 thrusters fired for 5 minutes, 5 seconds in a Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver to provide the complex an extra measure of distance away from the predicted track of a fragment of Russian Cosmos 1408 debris," according to a

Vilnius, Lithuania (SPX) Oct 26, 2022
NanoAvionics has announced a multi-million investment plan to support and accelerate its goal of becoming the prime supplier for small satellite constellations, globally. As a result of the recent acquisition by Kongsberg and part of its growth plan, the company seeks to significantly grow its production capacity over the next two years as well as ramping up its research and development (R and D

Washington DC (UPI) Oct 25, 2021
The last solar eclipse of the year was visible across Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia and Africa on Tuesday. The partial eclipse is the second of the year and began at about 4:48 a.m. ET with the moon beginning to overlap with the sun. At its peak, about 82%-86% of the sun will be eclipsed. This will happen around 11:10 a.m., though the best spot to observe will be the North P

Gold Coast, Australia (SPX) Oct 25, 2022
Global electrification specialist Equipmake has been selected by Australia's leading space company, Gilmour Space Technologies, to support its commercial space rocket programme with the supply of advanced electric motors and inverters. Led by former F1 engineer Ian Foley, Equipmake has forged its reputation by developing advanced EV technology for automotive OEMs and specialist supercar ma