European Space Agency

Yesterday, the Artemis II crew visited ESTEC to meet the teams behind Orion’s European Service Module, which powered their historic journey around the Moon and back. 🌕🚀 🔗esa.int/Science_Explor…

The space economy is evolving. In 2025, European space budgets grew by 12% to €13.5 billion. Our 2026 Space Economy Report provides the latest insights on investment, competitiveness, industry trends and global developments shaping the space sector. Read the full report 🔗esa.int/About_Us/Busin…

Together with Poland, we’re establishing a new Centre for Civil Security and Resilience in Warsaw, strengthening Europe’s capabilities and building a more resilient future. 🇵🇱🛰️ 🔗 esa.int/About_Us/Corpo…

We have a very busy and exciting few months ahead! Here are the upcoming key stages for #bepicolombo arrival at Mercury later this year, starting on 3 September with Mercury Transfer Module separation, leading to the detailed study of the planet and its environment by the @esa @esascience MPO and @JAXA_en @JAXA_MMO spacecraft in April 2027. esa.int/ESA_Multimedia…

Two years ago to this day, #Ariane6 flew for the first time. The iconic countdown with every launch since and some of our favourite views. Go Ariane! 🚀

Day 144, orbit 2233 — Many of you noticed the pink glow in the recent timelapses done in Columbus… That’s thanks to Veggie 🌱, the International Space Station’s vegetable production system — our little space garden! The Veggie chamber glows magenta-pink because it emits a light spectrum that’s perfect for plant growth! During Expedition 74, Veggie hosted the Veg-06 experiment, with two main goals: to study how alfalfa plants and beneficial bacteria work together in microgravity to capture nitrogen from the air and turn it into nutrients plants can use… and to look at how lignin – the material that helps plants stand upright on Earth – changes in space. The alfafa plants 🌿 were successfully grown – watered and nurtured by all of us – then harvested (aerial parts and roots) and stowed in a freezer. They were sent back to Earth for further analysis on board the CRS SpX‑34 cargo Dragon. For us, working on Veggie is a real taste of home – a reminder of what a garden looks and smells like. There’s something very special about watching the plants grow and caring for them day after day. I loved working on this experiment 💚 It is clear that being able to grow fresh food 🌶 in space will be crucial for long exploration missions, not just for nutrition, but for crew morale as well. A better understanding of nitrogen fixation is also key to improving soil quality on Earth, while studying lignin may benefit agriculture and forestry in the long run. Go science! 🎥 @esa / @NASA #εpsilon • @Space_Station • @NASAKennedy • @NASAJohnson • @esaspaceflight

Our space telescope Euclid has discovered 31 ancient quasars in the early Universe, including the two oldest ever observed. Their light has travelled for more than 13 billion years, taking us back to when the cosmos was just 5% of its current age. 🌌 Read more 👉 esa.int/Science_Explor…

#MediaInvitation: Journalists are invited to attend the launch of the weather satellite MTG-I2 on Ariane 6 #VA270 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. 📅 Apply by 16 July, 17:00 CEST 🔗 esa.int/Newsroom/Press…

Day 139, orbit 2155 — After the pictures (available in HD on my Flickr account), I'm so happy to finally share the timelapse of the most spectacular aurora of the εpsilon mission so far! 🤩 Watching this glowing green ribbon shimmer and dance, it's easy to lose yourself completely in the magic of the moment. Turn the sound on for the full experience – the music was carefully chosen to bring you as close as possible to what I felt watching this from space 💚. 🎥 @esa / @NASA #εpsilon • @esaspaceflight •  @Space_Station • @NASAJohnson •

Building on the success of Aeolus, the world's first satellite to measure global winds from space, we have authorised @AirbusSpace to begin development of Aeolus-2. 🌍 Developed with @eumetsat, the next-generation mission will help improve weather forecasts and strengthen climate monitoring worldwide. 🔗esa.int/Applications/O…

🌀 The Milky Way is bigger than we thought. Using X-ray echoes from powerful cosmic explosions, our XMM-Newton and @NASA's Chandra have revealed that some of our galaxy’s outer spiral arms lie up to 10% further away than previously estimated. Read more 👉 esa.int/Science_Explor… (Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, Stefan Payne-Wardenaar, ESA/XMM-Newton and NASA/Chandra)

@GiorgiaMeloni Grazie, Prime Minister @GiorgiaMeloni, for welcoming @astro_luca today. Grateful for Italy's partnership as an ESA Member State.

Ho ricevuto oggi a Palazzo Chigi l’astronauta italiano dell’ESA, il Colonnello Luca Parmitano, designato dalla NASA come pilota della missione Artemis III, il cui lancio è previsto per il 2027 con l’obiettivo di aprire la strada al ritorno dell’uomo sulla Luna. Ho rinnovato a Luca Parmitano le mie congratulazioni per questo prestigioso incarico, che dà lustro all’intera Nazione e conferma, ancora una volta, l’eccellenza dell’Italia nel settore spaziale. Al termine dell’incontro gli ho consegnato l’esemplare cromatico ufficiale del Tricolore della Repubblica, custodito a Palazzo Chigi, che accompagnerà la missione Artemis III nello spazio come simbolo dell’ingegno, dell’identità e dell’orgoglio italiano.

🚀 Ready to launch your career in space? Our Junior Professional Programme could be your lift‑off. If you hold a Master’s degree and have up to three years’ experience, this is your chance to join the European space sector.🌍 Apply now👉 esa.int/About_Us/Caree… #ESArecruits

Artemis III crew announcement, a record-breaking Ariane 6, major science updates and more. Catch up on our main stories in June 2026. 👀

Celebrating a new chapter for Greece in space. Thanks @PrimeministerGR & @papastergiougr for your ambition and support. You show how investing in space delivers for your citizens. Wishing @Astrovenator as the first Greek entering astronaut @esa training program every success.

After 8 years travelling across the inner Solar System, BepiColombo has switched off its ion engines. The ESA/JAXA mission is now entering its final approach to Mercury, with key arrival steps starting in September. 🔗 esa.int/Enabling_Suppo… @JAXA_en @esascience @esaoperations

An intense heatwave is affecting western Europe. This image of land surface temperature was captured by the @CopernicusEU Sentinel-3 mission on Wednesday, 23 June in the late morning. Cities and regions of France, Spain and southern Italy are experiencing unseasonal temperatures: Madrid 48°C • Poitiers 46°C • Rome 44°C 🔥 More info 👉 esa.int/.../Europe_fee…...