Week in images: 20-24 May 2024

Discover our week through the lens

Video: 00:06:08

ESA’s Euclid space mission has released five unprecedented new views of the Universe. These never-before-seen images demonstrate Euclid’s remarkable ability to unravel the secrets of the cosmos. Scientists are now equipped to hunt for rogue planets, study mysterious matter through lensed galaxies, and explore the evolution of the Universe. Join us as we explore these groundbreaking discoveries and what they mean for the future of space exploration.

An experimental flock of miniature CubeSats has survived the unexpected loss of its leader to begin monitoring water quality across Spain and Portugal.

Spacemanic, a Slovak and Czech startup company, won this year’s Prix Bulles Cardin award of €20 000 on 17 May for its ocean WaterCube.

This device, which is based on space hardware, has sensors which measure pollution levels in sea water allowing the identification of pollution hotspots. With this data, action can be taken to safeguard habitats and species critical for the long-term sustainability of marine ecosystems and fisheries.

Image: Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula is featured in this colourful radar image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1.

After eagerly awaiting his return, Denmark could finally welcome Andreas during his Huginn post-flight tour to meet with fans, ministers, the teams behind the science he conducted and anybody who wanted to say hi. Here is a recap of his homecoming in Denmark.

Washington DC (UPI) May 23, 2024
SpaceX launched another 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Wednesday, the same day the space company launched a group of U.S. spy satellites from California. Falcon 9 lifted off one minute behind schedule, at 10:36 p.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. "Merlin engine ignition and liftoff of Falcon 9," SpaceX wrote Wed

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024
The Psyche spacecraft, now beyond Mars, is using ion propulsion to reach a metal-rich asteroid for orbit and data collection. NASA's Psyche spacecraft, launched on Oct. 13, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center, passed its six-month checkup and is now using electric thrusters to speed towards its target. These thrusters, emitting a blue glow, will propel the spacecraft continuously during its jo

Washington DC (SPX) May 23, 2024
Uranus is thought to possess a core of rock and ice beneath its vast frosty atmosphere. Just how much rock lies at the center of this giant world is unknown, but a newly proposed technique could provide a way to find out. When the Voyager 2 spacecraft whizzed past Uranus in January 1986, it revealed the planet's dark, delicate rings and its pale cyan atmosphere. Precisely what lies beneath

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024
People might assume the search for life on Mars ended when NASA's first rovers sent back images of the planet's barren, inhospitable surface. However, as scientists broaden their understanding of the extreme conditions in which life can flourish here on Earth - and expand their notions of what extraterrestrial life might look like - the search for life on Mars continues. In recent years, N