A new ground station in Chile is set to transform how we connect to satellites, using laser technology that promises faster, safer, and more reliable data transmission. The European Space Agency (ESA), Sweden’s SSC Space and France’s Safran Space cooperated to build and test the facility, marking a concrete step towards wider use of optical communications.

[EN] “Believe in your dreams, believe in yourself, and believe in that little nothing, that εpsilon, that can change everything…”

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, currently on board the International Space Station for the εpsilon mission, shared an inspiring message on Sunday 8 March 2026 to mark International Women’s Day.

[FR] « Croyez en vous. Croyez en vos rêves et en ce petit rien, cet εpsilon, qui peut changer une trajectoire… »

L’astronaute de l’ESA Sophie Adenot, actuellement à bord de la Station spatiale internationale pour la mission εpsilon, a partagé un message inspirant à l’occasion de la Journée internationale des droits des femmes, le

Following the launch of two radar satellites for Greece at the end of last year, four infrared imaging satellites dedicated to detecting and monitoring wildfires across the country are now being prepared for launch this spring. As part of the final preparations, these four CubeSats have recently undergone magnetic cleaning at the European Space Agency’s facilities in the Netherlands.

When packing your spacecraft for a return trip to Mars, it would be better to launch during a period of maximum solar activity.

At approximately 18:55 CET (17:55 UTC) on Sunday 8 March 2026, a very bright fireball moving from the southwest to the northeast was observed by many people in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

The Smile spacecraft has arrived at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. During the coming weeks, the spacecraft will go through final preparations for its launch on a Vega-C rocket between 8 April and 7 May.

At ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), teams work around the clock to fly spacecraft across the Solar System and monitor Earth from orbit. Among them are women leading spacecraft operations, managing teams and helping shape the culture of ESA’s mission control.