To date, ESA has invested more than €2 billion in improving and developing Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou. ESA…
Most ESA spacecraft are tested at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands. The…
Satellite communications are now being used for many unusual projects. This has been made possible by more powerful…
ESA has been working on satellite communications since the 1970s. As early as 1980, its Orbital Test Satellite…
The weather can suddenly change for the worse, so it is vital that forecasters receive continuous updates from…
Based on 18 months of Envisat observations, this high-resolution global atmospheric map of nitrogen dioxide pollution makes clear…
This animation shows how most comets originate in an area beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto, filled…
Europe has its own weather satellites, called Meteosat. The first Meteosat was launched by ESA into geostationary orbit,…
Until now, nearly all space missions have used rocket motors that feed on chemical fuel. Unfortunately, these are…
Space is vast. A trip to the Moon – our neighbour in space – will take three days…
Europe’s involvement in human spaceflight began in 1969. After Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans…
The International Space Station (ISS) is the biggest object ever flown into space and can often be seen…
In addition to Columbus, ESA is providing a number of important parts for the International Space Station (ISS).…
The International Space Station (ISS) is like an island surrounded by an empty sea. Without a regular supply…
The International Space Station (ISS) is used for many scientific experiments. Taking advantage of weightlessness conditions in orbit,…
Living in a space station is rather like living in a desert. There is very little water available…
Our everyday lives involve such activities as sitting, walking, picking up things from the ground and lying in…
Do you feel homesick after being away for a week or two? Do you feel lonely after being…
Astronauts have very busy lives. Each day in orbit (apart from rest days) is carefully planned by mission…
As the International Space Station is being completed, ESA is looking toward the long-term future of human spaceflight.…
Before humans can set foot on Mars, we need to know as much as possible about the Red…
For more than 30 years, Europeans have been enjoying the wonders of space travel. The early pioneers were…
Before they can fly in space, astronauts have to undergo hundreds of hours of training. This is split…
For a human mission to space, astronauts (and mission teams on the ground) have to know about how their…
Earth is the only place we know that supports life. What makes it so special? One key factor…
No one knows how or why life began. We do know that life on Earth started at least…
Mars was once warmer and wetter than it is today. Pictures sent back by ESA’s Mars Express and…
Could there be life around other stars? Perhaps, living on extrasolar planets! But where do these planets come…
Up to three times a year, the full Moon’s bright face slowly changes to a dark orange colour.…
Ceres is now known to have a width of about 940 km – about one quarter (one fourth)…