Image: ESA’s Earth from Space series reaches its 1000th image with a return to the vibrant waters of southern Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas – the same region featured in the very first edition in 2004.

Image: Seen from above: liftoff of first Ariane 6 with P160C-based boosters

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission signed a joint declaration on In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS), signalling a shared ambition to build European leadership in in-orbit servicing.

A spacecraft developed by Tsinghua University is set to join international missions to study the asteroid Apophis during its close approach to Earth in 2029.

Video: 00:23:49

Meet the voices astronauts hear in space. At ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, the EUROCOM team is the link between crew and ground, guiding astronauts like ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot through their daily work on the International Space Station. Join us as EUROCOM expert Andreas Orth explains how complex operations are translated into clear, real-time communication and what it means to be the one voice connecting Earth and orbit.

This interview was recorded in March 2026.

Listen on all major podcast platforms.

Keep exploring with ESA Explores.

Week in images: 15-19 June 2026

Discover our week through the lens

Video: 00:00:30

On 17 June at 09:21 local time (13:21 BST, 14:21 CEST), Ariane 6 flight VA269 soared to orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. 36 satellites for Amazon’s Leo constellation left Earth powered by four P160C-based boosters, the first time these upgraded boosters were used – making this launch the most powerful so far for Europe’s heavy-lift rocket. 

Billions in private investment have created room for growth, but suppliers need predictable demand, says the head of Northrop Grumman’s solid rocket motor business