ESA and Thales Alenia Space have signed a contract amendment today at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan to extend the Lunar View refuelling module for the lunar Gateway.

What’s better than one spacecraft on the quest to search for life-friendly ocean worlds in the Jupiter system? Two! ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is set to join forces with NASA’s Europa Clipper – launched on 14 October – to tackle one of the biggest questions in Solar System science.

This week, at the International Aeronautics Congress in Milan, ESA officially kicked off a new project called Ciseres, a small satellite mission designed to significantly improve crisis response times using artificial intelligence (AI). Part of ESA's Civil Security from Space (CSS) programme, Ciseres aims to enhance satellite capabilities to alert first responders and government officials within minutes of the occurrence of a disaster – such as floods, fires, landslides. The project is led and co-financed by Deimos, a European space tech company specialising in small satellite missions.

Imagine a near future where services such as satellite navigation, video conferencing, and file sharing are as seamless on the Moon as they are on Earth.

In an era where natural disasters and emergencies are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, ESA is taking a significant step forward in enhancing Europe's crisis management capabilities.

ESA has awarded a contract valued at over €280 million to OHB in Germany to build ESA’s two Harmony Earth Explorer satellites.

This innovative research mission will provide valuable new data on various Earth processes, from shifts in the shape of the land surface caused by earthquakes and volcanic activity to insights into glacier movement. Additionally, it will enhance our understanding of the interactions between the upper ocean and lower atmosphere, all of which will contribute to a deeper comprehension of Earth's dynamic systems.