Copernical Team
Danube’s waters fall to record lows
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These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images over the Danube north of Budapest show how the river’s level has fallen to a record low in Hungary due to a severe drought in central Europe. IRIS² reinforced and accelerated as implementation advances
On 7 August, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations and signed an implementation agreement to roll out IRIS², the European Union’s new flagship satellite constellation. The agreement, among other things, adds 66 satellites into low Earth orbit to the programme, bringing the main constellation to 348 satellites, and moving it from planning to full-scale deployment with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA).
The team behind Europe’s latest weather satellite
Since the second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I2) began its launch campaign last month, it has undergone rigorous pre-launch inspections that ensure the electronic and mechanical systems are working correctly. How does a team of experts, including scientists, engineers, launch coordinators and mission operation specialists, ensure everything is running smoothly behind the scenes, both during and after liftoff?
A match made in cleanrooms
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The Orion spacecraft for Artemis III inside the cleanroom at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Webb opens a Treasure Chest filled with stars
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This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month takes us to a fantastical realm within our home galaxy, where piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpt dust clouds into inventive shapes. This scene is from the Carina Nebula, which lies just 7500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).
Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an incredible collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs revealed in the first-ever Webb image release. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star
ExoMars stretches out its legs
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The footage shows the simultaneous deployment of two landing legs from the ExoMars landing platform, in two sequential pairs.
The legs travel stowed on the spacecraft through deep space, and are automatically deployed in pairs in less than a second using non-explosive actuators, just after the front shield is jettisoned. This is a crucial step in the landing module’s preparation for touchdown.
The tests used a full-scale model of the landing platform at the Thales Alenia facilities in Turin, Italy. The four legs replicate the structure and dimensions of those that will fly to Mars.
The landing legs are
Your chance to run software in deep space on ESA's asteroid mission
The European Space Agency is offering European researchers and companies a rare and exciting opportunity to run their innovative software directly in deep space aboard ESA’s Hera mission, millions of kilometres away.
Europe’s forests losing more biomass since 2018
Europe’s forests are losing more biomass than previously thought, with disturbances such as drought and pests causing increasingly large losses from some of the oldest forests in Europe. This situation has deteriorated markedly since 2018.
Total solar eclipse: how to watch live from home
A total solar eclipse is coming to Europe. The European Space Agency (ESA) will broadcast live from 19:30 CEST on 12 August, allowing you to experience this rare event from anywhere in the world.
Quick links:
- Live broadcast on YouTube (12 August, 19:30–20:45 CEST)
- Event programme in León, Spain (12 August, 10:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:45 CEST)
- Overview of all ESA activities, including videos, graphics and educational activities
ESA and Pokémon team up to celebrate World Space Week
The European Space Agency (ESA) and The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) are teaming up to celebrate World Space Week from 4–10 October 2026. This unique, limited-time collaboration brings together two worlds united by curiosity, exploration and imagination.