Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, but its seismic nature is part of a much broader geological history.

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists, supported by an ESA-funded project, have uncovered the underlying forces that forged the North Atlantic’s fiery volcanic past – shedding light on the vast geological region that spans from Greenland to western Europe, which is home to iconic natural wonders like the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. 

ESA’s week-long Living Planet Symposium kicked off today in Vienna, Austria, bringing together scientists and researchers from around the globe. Throughout the week, we’ll be covering the bigger stories in depth, such as the first images from ESA’s Biomass mission published earlier today – but we’re also sharing some daily snapshots of other significant happenings.

So, today’s few ‘extras’ include Sentinel-2 marking 10 years in orbit, ESA selects Telespazio to run the ground segment for the TRUTHS mission and listen to EarthCARE data transformed into a dragon’s song for peace.

Satellite observations reveal that the extent of sea ice in the Arctic is once again hovering near record lows for this time of year – underscoring a troubling and persistent trend. This issue is a key topic at ESA’s Living Planet Symposium in Vienna, where scientists are emphasising the critical role that ESA’s Climate Change Initiative Sea Ice Project and CryoSat mission have had in helping to underpin these findings.

Looking ahead, the ability to monitor polar sea ice is in safe hands, as the development of the new CRISTAL mission is progressing well

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 21, 2025
Globalstar (NASDAQ: GSAT) has announced further international deployment of its satellite-enabled technologies through an expanding partnership with Technosylva, a specialist in wildfire modeling and risk management. This collaboration continues to equip firefighting agencies with real-time situational tools that enhance safety and response coordination in extreme conditions. One of the mo

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 21, 2025
For 540 million years, the ebb and flow in the strength of Earth's magnetic field has correlated with fluctuations in atmospheric oxygen, according to a newly released analysis by NASA scientists. The research suggests that processes deep inside the Earth might influence habitability on the planet's surface. Earth's magnetic field arises from the flow of material in the planet's molten int

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jun 21, 2025
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have confirmed that Bogong moths navigate using the stars and the Milky Way, making them the first known invertebrates to rely on celestial cues for long-distance travel. The study, published in Nature, reveals that these nocturnal insects pair stellar orientation with Earth's magnetic field to complete seasonal migrations of up to 1000 kilometers.

Washington DC (UPI) Jun 23, 2025
SpaceX is set to launch its Transporter-14 rideshare mission, carrying multiple satellites and human DNA. The flight is set to launch from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base with a 57-minute flight window set to open at 5:18 p.m. EDT. The flight is set to carry 70 payloads, including cubesats, microsats and re-entry capsules. A German Company, Exolaunch, will also de

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 21, 2025
Astrion, operating through its legacy firm Axient LLC, has secured a place among 12 contractors selected for the U.S. Space Force's Space Test Experiments Program (STEP) 2.0. This expansive initiative, valued at up to $237 million over a decade, is designed to accelerate innovation in space-based defense technologies. STEP 2.0 is a multi-award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ