The beginning of the industrial development of LISA was among the highlights for the European Space Agency on the second day of the International Paris Air Show. 

One of the biggest Earth observation conferences in the world will take place next week in Vienna. You can watch streamed plenary discussions and presentations each day on ESA Web TV.

European startup The Exploration Company, which is developing a cargo vehicle with a key test flight launching within days, says it has long-term plans to fly people as well.

Today, the European Space Agency (ESA) and OHB System AG sealed their agreement to build ESA's Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, LISA. A bold scientific enterprise, the triple-spacecraft mission will be the first space-based observatory to study gravitational waves: ripples in spacetime caused by the most powerful events in the Universe, such as pairs of supermassive black holes colliding and merging.

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jun 17, 2025
A team of astronomers from Leiden University and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory has confirmed the first robust detection of semi-heavy water ice surrounding a young sunlike star, strengthening the hypothesis that some of the solar system's water predates the Sun itself. Their study, based on observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, was published in The Astrophysical Journal Le

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 17, 2025
UP Aerospace has completed the inaugural launch of its Spyder hypersonic rocket, marking a major advancement in rapid-response flight capabilities. The launch occurred at 7:00 AM MST from Launch Complex 36 and achieved hypersonic velocities similar to those of the long-operating SpaceLoft missions. The test was supported by the Navy White Sands Detachment and funded by the Stockpile Respon

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jun 17, 2025
A potentially catastrophic asteroid impact may seem like science fiction, yet the possibility remains real. Earlier this year, asteroid 2024 YR4 briefly raised alarms with a 1-2 percent chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. Although updated calculations have ruled out a threat in this instance, future threats remain a pressing concern. A new research paper from Swinburne University of Te

Pasadena CA (SPX) Jun 17, 2025
The vast majority of matter in the universe is dark-it is entirely invisible and detected only through its gravitational effects. Ordinary matter-everything from protons to planets to people-makes up only 16 percent. Unlike dark matter, ordinary matter emits light of various wavelengths and thus can be seen. But a large chunk of it is diffuse and spread thinly among halos that surround galaxies