Week in images: 15-19 December 2025

Discover our week through the lens

ESA Impact 2025 - October-December

Welcome to ESA Impact, your interactive gateway to the most captivating stories and stunning visuals from the European Space Agency, now in a mobile-friendly format.

On 14 January 2026, the European Space Agency (ESA) will hold an online post-CM25 industry event for all ESA industrial partners.

Video: 00:05:30

On 17 December 2025, two new Galileo satellites lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. This was the 14th launch for Europe’s satellite navigation operational satellite programme, reinforcing Europe’s resilience and autonomy. The flight, VA266, was the first launch of Galileo satellites on Europe’s newest heavy-lift launcher Ariane 6. 

The satellites, designated SAT 33 and SAT 34, separated from the launcher after a flight of just under four hours. The launch was declared successful after acquisition of signal and the confirmation that both satellites are healthy with their solar arrays deployed. 

“With these new satellites, we strengthen Europe’s global navigation

Image: XRISM sees comet 3I/ATLAS in X-ray light

Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Dec 11, 2025
Sidus Space has completed bus-level commissioning of its LizzieSat-3 spacecraft, confirming that the satellite's core systems are operational in orbit and ready to support customer missions. LS-3 is part of the company's LizzieSat multi-mission constellation focused on providing space-based data services, integrated sensors, and autonomous on-orbit computing capabilities to government and commer

Laurel MD (SPX) Dec 14, 2025
NASA has selected Dartmouth College and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, to begin developing a mission that will shed more light on the growing impacts of space weather. The Cross-scale Investigation of Earths Magnetotail and Aurora (CINEMA) mission will unlock the secrets of the energy circulation through Earths magnetotail. The magnetotail is an ext