The 1.2-m diameter main mirror of ESA's Euclid mission to unveil the dark universe, seen during assembly, integration and testing. Using this mirror, the spacecraft will map the 3D distribution of billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away—looking beyond the Milky Way galaxy to image around a third of the observable universe. By revealing the universe's large-scale structure, and its pattern of expansion, the mission will cast light on the mysterious dark energy and dark matter making up 95% of the cosmos.

All six of Euclid's Korsch configuration mirrors, plus the telescope itself—comprising more than 30 parts as well as the mirrors—as well as the more than 10 parts making up the mission's Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer and the optical bench that surrounds them are all made from the same material: not glass, but a ceramic only found naturally in space.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is one of the hardest materials known, used to make cutting tools, high-performance brakes and even bulletproof vests, while being much lighter than glass. It is similar to a metal in having high thermal conductivity but unlike metals can undergo extreme temperature shifts without deforming—making it very attractive for space-based astronomy.

While the European Space Agency isn't planning to build their own spacesuits anytime soon, they want to be ready. ESA recently had the Space Suit Design Competition, allowing the public to propose designs for future European extra-vehicular activity (EVA) suits.

The competition received 90 submissions and experts selected five winners. This first design, above, was created by Oussama Guarraz, focusing on "modernity, cutting-edge technology, innovation, and sustainability.