ESA

Insights

An interview with Anthea Comellini, the new ESA reserve astronaut

We had the incredible opportunity to interview Anthea Comellini, one of the two Italian reserve astronauts selected by the European Space Agency in 2022.

Space Voyaging
21/03/2023

Insights

Clearspace-1: ESA and the space debris challenge

Rendering of the ClearSpace-1 spacecraft approaching the Vespa payload adapter. It will get hold of the piece of debris and safely dispose of it by deorbiting. Credits: ClearSpace SA

Space debris is a problem we can't allow to get out of hand. ESA aims at demonstrating a possible solution with the ClearSpace-1 mission. The spacecraft will grab a piece of debris and safely deorbit it

Riccardo Dipietro
20/03/2023

Missions News Space Agencies

Firefly Awarded $112 Million NASA Contract for Payload Delivery to the Far Side of the Moon

Render of Blue Ghost Mission 2, Firefly's Two-Stage Lander selected by NASA. Credits: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace was selected by NASA to deliver multiple payloads with its Blue Ghost Spacecraft into Lunar Orbit and on the far side of the Moon in 2026

Edoardo Giammarino
15/03/2023

Insights

Will The Mars Sample Return Mission Discover Alien Life?

Mars Sample Return mission overview. Credits: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech

Returning samples from the Red Planet has never been attempted before, but NASA and ESA are gonna try it with the "Mars Sample Return" program

Filippo Zamprogna
09/03/2023

Missions News Space Agencies

Esa suffers a big loss as Vega C will remain on the ground for several months

Vega-C VV21 with LARES-2 ready for launch as the gantry is being retracted on 13 July 2022 at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Vega-C brings a new level of performance to ESA's launch family. With new first and second stages and an uprated fourth stage, Vega-C increases performance to about 2.3 t in a reference 700 km polar orbit, from the 1.5 t capability of its predecessor, Vega.

Results of the Commission indicate that the loss of the Vega C during the VV22 mission was caused by an over-erosion of the throat insert of the nozzle.

Giovanni Facchinetti
03/03/2023

Missions News Space Agencies

NEOMIR will find dangerous asteroids hidden from the Sun

Neomir searches for asteroids around the Sun. Credits: ESA

In 2030 ESA's NEOMIR mission will be launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket. It will detect asteroids hidden from the Sun's glare, enough before a potential impact

Marco Fiaschi
01/03/2023

Missions News

How Copernicus satellites improve safety of the Italian infrastructures

Illustration of Sentinel-1 satellite over italy

To enhance road safety in Italy, the road agency leverages Copernicus satellites data to monitor ground movements for timely hazard detection.

Federico Airoldi
26/02/2023

News

The new dwarf planet Quaoar undermines Roche’s limit theory

Artist impression of Quaoar and its ring. Credits by: ESA

A ring around Quaoar could disprove Roche's limit theory. Let's find out how this planet has been discovered and why it is so important.

Marco Fiaschi
10/02/2023

Missions News Space Agencies

JUICE, ESA’s most important mission, is ready to take off

Jupiter's four Galilean moons. Credits by: NASA/JPL/DLR

JUICE, the ESA Mission whose main objective is to study three icy moons of Jupiter, it's about to reach Kourou, from where it will be launched in April