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A vertical beam of sunlight appears to shoot up into the sky outside Concordia research station in Antarctica in this image taken by ESA-sponsored medical doctor Hannes Hagson.

Known as a sun pillar, this optical phenomenon occurs when sunlight is reflected from tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Though it appears to reach from the sun itself, the pillar is not physically located above or below the sun. But it’s not just the sun that creates this optical illusion. Moonlight, and even streetlights, can create the same effect in icy conditions, in which case it is known more

Following  preparatory activities and a stringent process ESA Member States today formally selected Harmony for implementation as the tenth Earth Explorer mission within the FutureEO programme. This unique satellite mission concept is, therefore, now set to become a reality to provide a wealth of new information about our oceans, ice, earthquakes and volcanoes – which will make significant contributions to climate research and risk monitoring.

ESA continues to lead the way and create opportunities for talented entrepreneurs. This week it announced the winners of its start-up competition at the 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2022) in Paris.

Many parts of Europe saw record-breaking temperatures over the summer, but it wasn’t just the continental mainland that was affected: the Mediterranean Sea also suffered a major marine heatwave. An ESA-funded project, CAREHeat, detected one of the most intense Mediterranean marine heatwaves observed during the satellite era – with sea surface temperatures reaching 5°C higher than average.

Cyberattacks and geopolitics threaten today’s increasingly digital world, leading to the disruption of essential supplies such as power and water. ESA, the European Commission and space companies in Europe are teaming up to work towards a highly secure, satellite-enabled connectivity system for the EU – based on the unbreakable laws of physics.

London, UK (SPX) Sep 21, 2022
Viasat Inc., (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, and Inmarsat, a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has announced the receipt of approval of the proposed combination of their businesses by the UK Government under the National Security and Investment Act. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced t

Long Beach CA (SPX) Sep 21, 2022
Rocket Lab USA, Inc (Nasdaq: RKLB) reports it will launch a dedicated Electron mission for General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS). Electron is scheduled to launch the "It Argos Up From Here" mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand during a launch window that opens October 5 UTC. The "It Argos Up From Here" mission will launch the GA-EMS designed and manufac

Paris, France (SPX) Sep 21, 2022
Commercial space leader Axiom Space and the government of Turkiye have signed a historic agreement to send the first Turkish astronaut to space. As part of a larger effort by Turkiye to expand its space exploration capabilities and establish a national human space program, a Turkish astronaut will be trained by Axiom Space for a future space research mission. Axiom Space will also enable Turkish

Paris, France (SPX) Sep 21, 2022
Australian launch services company, Gilmour Space Technologies, has announced that it will launch a dedicated rideshare mission into low earth orbit (LEO) in late 2024. Unlike most rocket launches which host a primary customer payload, a rideshare launch comprises of many customer payloads such as cubesats, microsats and other small spacecraft. "Called Caravan-1, this mission will pr