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The first-of-its-kind complement of instruments dubbed the ‘space storm hunter’ hangs out in its new location outside the International Space Station in this image taken by on of the Station’s external cameras.

The Atmosphere–Space Interactions Monitor, or ASIM for short, measures electric events in Earth’s upper atmosphere with cameras, photometers and X- and gamma-ray detectors. 

Last week ASIM was switched off and moved by robotic arm to another spot outside the Columbus module to make room for an American payload. Now in its new location, the instrument is being activated and so far things are going well.

From its new

Week in images: 17 - 21 January 2022

Discover our week through the lens

Part of Mecklenburg–West Pomerania, also known as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a state in northeast Germany is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. A portion of the northwest coast of Poland can be seen in the right of the image.

Video: 01:00:30

Watch the replay of ‘Live from Space: The Next Frontier for Knowledge and Action’. ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, live from the from the International Space Station discussed with a panel of prominent experts and industry leaders, including ESA’s Director General Josef Aschbacher, about how space research can improve life on our planet.

The central core of ESA’s new generation Ariane 6 launch vehicle arrived at Europe’s Spaceport on 18 January and is now inside the launch vehicle assembly building.

Madrid, Spain (SPX) Jan 19, 2022
The Proba-3 program, spearheaded by SENER Aeroespacial, the project's prime contractor for the European Space Agency (ESA), has accomplished several relevant milestones in the integration of the two satellites that will, for the first time, demonstrate a high- precision formation flight in space. In the future, spacecraft formation flying technology will be used to replace bulky structures

Evry, France (SPX) Jan 19, 2022
Arianespace has been awarded a launch contract by ESA, on behalf of the European Commission, to launch Microcarb in 2023 on Vega C. Microcarb is a 190kg satellite developed by CNES that will be delivered into a sun-synchronous orbit, 650km above the Earth. "We are very proud of this new launch contract, which underlines the capacity of Arianespace to design the most competitive launch solu

West Lafayette IN (SPX) Jan 21, 2022
Almost one year into the Mars rover mission, accomplishing its goal is on the horizon for Purdue University's Briony Horgan and the Perseverance team. Feb. 18 will mark one year since the rover landed on the red planet following a seven-month, 300-million-mile flight across space. Horgan, associate professor of planetary science in the Purdue College of Science's Department of Earth,

Mountain View CA (SPX) Jan 19, 2022
The SETI Institute teamed up with Louisiana State University (LSU) and Mississippi State University (MSU) to help students design the science program for AstronetX PBC's first lunar-based camera (L-CAM 1). The scientific program planning is funded by a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant to AstronetX. Additional funding for student participation is provided by the National Science Foundation

Washington DC (UPI) Jan 20, 2021
One of the Red Planet's famous dust storms has kept the Mars helicopter Ingenuity grounded for two weeks, but the aircraft is scheduled for its 19th flight as early as Sunday, according to NASA. Around the first of the year, NASA planned Flight 19 of the tiny, 4-pound helicopter on Jan. 5. But weather forecasters on Ingenuity's team in California noticed signs of the approaching dust st