This issue includes Hera taking to the skies to begin its planetary defence mission to survey the impact of NASA’s DART spacecraft on the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos. There’s news from the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, where ESA played a prominent role in presenting Europe’s future space ambitions. Plus, relive the excitement of the first Ariane 6 rocket launch, catch your first glimpse of Euclid’s cosmic map, learn about new air pollution monitoring by Copernicus Sentinel-2, and more.

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