ESO Top News

Video: 00:07:18

On 9 June, NASA announced the crew for the Artemis III mission, which includes ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot. ESA is also providing its third European Service Module for this crewed test flight in Earth orbit, which will be key for the mission’s objective to test rendezvous and docking capabilities ahead of future lunar landing missions. Along with Luca, three NASA astronauts will fly on this mission: commander Randy Bresnik and lander specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas. The crew now begins a rigorous training schedule to learn the Orion spacecraft systems, as well as the operations of the human landing systems, to prepare for an ambitious series of demonstrations ahead of a Moon landing mission.

Video: 00:03:53

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano talks about his assignment as the test pilot for the Artemis III mission, announced by NASA on 9 June 2026 in a press conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, United States.

Artemis III is planned as a crewed test flight in Earth orbit to demonstrate systems and operations required for future lunar landing missions planned from Artemis IV onwards.

ESA is also providing its third European Service Module for this mission, the powerhouse of the NASA Orion spacecraft which houses the crew during their journey.

NASA has announced the crew for the Artemis III mission, which includes ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot. ESA is also providing its third European Service Module for this crewed test flight in Earth orbit, which will be key for the mission’s objective to test rendezvous and docking capabilities ahead of future lunar landing missions.

The Proba-3 mission’s Coronagraph spacecraft and its main scientific instrument, ASPIICS, are both at full health, ready to resume routine formation flying operations and deliver more breathtaking artificial eclipses.

For decades, economic growth and fossil-fuel consumption have been tightly intertwined. As cities have expanded, rising prosperity has often been accompanied by worsening air pollution. New research, however, suggests that this relationship is changing – and satellite data are helping to prove it.

Under the theme 'Space4Future', the European Space Agency (ESA) will welcome visitors to the Space Pavilion at ILA Berlin International Airshow, Hall B, from 10 to 14 June. From Moon exploration to climate monitoring, from navigation and telecommunication to European launchers, visitors to the pavilion will discover how space is shaping our future.

The European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), hailing a new era of cooperation with the aim of advancing the use of Earth observation data and services for development and impact finance initiatives.

Week in images: 01-05 Jun 2026

Discover our week through the lens

Video: 00:02:40

English

How does Europe study the Sun? Discover the missions revealing the secrets of our closest star, from SOHO and Solar Orbiter to Proba-3, which is creating artificial solar eclipses in space to unlock new insights into the Sun's mysterious corona.

Featuring ESA Reserve Astronaut Sara García Alonso.

Spanish 

¿Cómo se estudia el Sol desde Europa? Acompaña a Sara García Alonso en un recorrido por las misiones de la ESA que observan nuestra estrella, desde SOHO y Solar Orbiter hasta Proba-3, que está creando eclipses solares artificiales en el espacio para investigar la misteriosa corona solar.

Con Sara García Alonso, astronauta de reserva de la ESA.

Image: Webb unveils young stars across every stage of formation

Image: On World Environment Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission brings us an amazing view from space of Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, hosting this year’s celebration.

A foundation model trained on Earth observation data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 has been made widely available to researchers, it was announced at a computer industry conference this week in Denver, US.

Last year, the European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled its long-term vision for the decades ahead with ESA Strategy 2040. Framed around five encompassing goals which demonstrate the important role space can play in every aspect of citizens’ lives across Europe. Today, ESA is taking a decisive step forward to bring this vision to life through a comprehensive brand transformation.

In the region where the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will search for signs of life, clay deposits extend beyond previous estimates, a new study finds. One hypothesis even suggests a vast ocean once covered the landing site.

Image: Webb's MIRI image of the interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS in three different light wavelengths

Video: 00:03:24

Smile successfully launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 19 May 2026.

This timelapse captures the excitement and precision of launch operations as the spacecraft begins its journey to study the connection between the Sun and Earth.

Smile (the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is an international space science mission designed to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere. By observing these dynamic processes from space, Smile will help scientists better understand space weather and its effects on our planet's magnetic environment.

Video: 00:04:15

What did space deliver for Europe this month? From asteroid flybys to Mars landing tests, new discoveries from Webb and Hubble, and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot capturing shooting stars from orbit, here’s your monthly roundup from the European Space Agency.

This month also saw ESA team up with DON’T NOD for Aphelion, a sci-fi adventure inspired by real space science and exploration.

Week in images: 25-29 May 2026

Discover our week through the lens

Image: This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features the Batagaika Crater in Siberia. This is the biggest permafrost crater in the world, caused by melting permafrost and also known as a ‘mega-slump’.