For the next six months, a camera system on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) will be snapping photos of more than a dozen different material samples, gathering detailed information that will help researchers determine how—and why—the harsh conditions of space affect these materials. Among the issues to be studied are color changes that may indicate the degradation caused by exposure to the environment in space.

A key goal of the research will be to correlate the color changes that occur under low-Earth orbital (LEO) exposure with variations in the materials' properties—such as structural strength, chemical composition, and electrical conductivity—to determine how these spectral changes might allow scientists and engineers to visually assess deterioration.

Europe's latest Galileo satellites in space have joined the operational constellation, transmitting navigation signals to three billion users across planet Earth as well as relaying distress calls to rescuers. Their entry into service follows a summer test campaign and will result in a measurable increase in positioning accuracy and improved data delivery performance of the overall Galileo system.

Galileo satellites 27–28 were launched at the end of last year and underwent their in-orbit test review at the end of April, held between ESA, satellite manufacturer OHB and navigation payload maker Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). Their key findings included the fact that both satellites' payloads are performing extremely well—among the best in the entire constellation—and that both satellites entering into service increase the position accuracy and robustness of the overall Galileo system.

While the world eagerly awaits the launch of a spacecraft to the Moon, a robot quietly reaches yet another milestone in space. The newest robotic arm outside the International Space Station woke up, stretched and moved a payload effortlessly from one side to the other of the Nauka science module.

The European Robotic Arm (ERA) successfully completed the first transfer following commands from cosmonauts inside the Space Station last week. Teams in Moscow, Russia and at ESA's control room in the Netherlands monitored the moves, where this image was taken by the European team on console on 24 August.

This first motion involved unleashing the payload—a single pin latch and its adapter for the cosmonaut support tool—from Nauka, moving it to the other side of the module and then installing it back to the original position.

This time the payload was just the size of a small suitcase, but ERA's 11 m structure can maneuver up to eight-metric-ton payloads.

The whole operation took around six hours, after which the European Robotic Arm went into hibernation mode.

The test proved what the European Robotic Arm was built for: to move and latch payloads and equipment outside the Russian segment of the Space Station with an accuracy of 5 mm, saving time and work for the crew.