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European Space Agency
@esa.int
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#50YearsOfESA: we're the European Space Agency, keeping you posted on European space activities.

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European Space Agency @esa.int · 4d
2026 will be one of the most mission-dense and strategically important years in our history.

Together with our Member States and partners, we are strengthening Europe’s role in space for science, security, sustainability, and exploration. 🌍✨

🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueBf...
ESA preview 2026
YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA
www.youtube.com
esa.int
In 2026, we'll again be hosting #ESAOpenDays at: HQ🇫🇷, ESOC🇩🇪, ESRIN🇮🇹, ECSAT🇬🇧, ESTEC🇳🇱 and ESAC🇪🇸! Dates to be confirmed later in the year!

In the meantime, here's a recap of exciting, record-breaking 2025 Open Day fun! 👇

@fr.esa.int @es.esa.int @de.esa.int @ita.esa.int @nl.esa.int
Wrapping up a record-breaking edition of ESA Open Days 2025
www.esa.int
January 12, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by European Space Agency
transport.esa.int
Have you met Astris? 🤔

It's an orbital transfer vehicle under development for Ariane 6.

Astris will add on Ariane 6's capabilities, by allowing it to transport payloads between orbits and reach more destinations.

Here's how it will look ↓
Infographic about Astris is an orbital transfer vehicle for Ariane 6 that will transport payloads between orbits and increase its versatility, by allowing it to reach a wider variety of destinations. Astris takes up little space, can be reignited many times and has a long mission lifetime. The image shows an illustration of Astris, with its four adjustable tanks and steerable, reignitable engine. It also shows the placing of Astris inside the Ariane 6 rocket.
January 12, 2026 at 12:57 PM
esa.int
Artemis II's European Service Module, or ESM, is the crucial ESA component powering #NASA's Orion spacecraft for this mission, its first crewed lunar flyby flight.
Artemis II astronauts visit European Service Module-2
YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA
www.youtube.com
January 11, 2026 at 3:32 PM
esa.int
At the end of January, NASA will conduct a wet dress rehearsal — a prelaunch test to fuel the rocket. Following a successful wet dress rehearsal, the mission management team will assess the readiness of all systems before committing to a launch date.
January 11, 2026 at 12:36 PM
esa.int
NASA is planning on rolling out the Artemis II rocket and spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at #NASAKennedy no earlier than 17 January. The 6.4 km journey will take up to 12 hours.
January 11, 2026 at 12:35 PM
esa.int
🚀 #Artemis II launch opportunities in early 2026

Find out more on #NASA's blog:
🔗 nasa.gov/missions/art...

@exploration.esa.int
To determine potential launch dates, engineers identified key constraints required to accomplish the mission and keep the crew inside Orion safe. The resulting launch periods are the days or weeks where the spacecraft and rocket can meet mission objectives. These launch periods account for the complex orbital mechanics involved in launching on a precise trajectory toward the Moon while the Earth is rotating on its axis and the Moon is orbiting Earth each month in its lunar cycle. This results in a pattern of approximately one week of launch opportunities, followed by three weeks without launch opportunities.
January 11, 2026 at 12:33 PM
esa.int
Today we are launching the ESA Space Range in collaboration with #PLAYMOBIL: a new Mars mission toy collection inspired by real science and exploration. 🚀

🔗 esa.int/About_Us/Branding_and_Partnerships/ESA_and_Playmobil_launch_Mars_mission_collection
ESA Space Range by PLAYMOBIL
January 9, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Reposted by European Space Agency
transport.esa.int
The parts that will form the next #Ariane6 rocket have arrived Europe's Spaceport in .
🚢🚚🚀
The sixth Ariane 6 launch will be the first with four boosters, taking Amazon Leo satellites to orbit.
Canopée hybrid sailing ship arrives in French Guiana Unloading Ariane 6 stage from Canopée Ariane 6 convoy heading to the launcher assembly building Upper stage in the launcher assembly building
January 9, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by European Space Agency
exploration.esa.int
Finding the echo 🔊

This week @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot trained on EchoFinder-2—using augmented reality and artificial intelligence to enable autonomous ultrasound scans. A big step for future missions to the International Space Station and beyond 🚀

🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimed... #εpsilon #Crew12
Finding the echo
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot training on EchoFinder‑2.
esa.int
January 9, 2026 at 11:23 AM
esa.int
Details and registration 👇
esa.int/Newsroom/Press_Releases/Media_invitation_ESA_at_the_18th_European_Space_Conference_in_Brussels
January 9, 2026 at 10:32 AM
esa.int
#MediaInvitation: Journalists are invited to join the 18th European Space Conference on 27–28 January 2026 in Brussels.

ESA DG @josefaschbacher.esa.int and Directors will deliver keynotes, join panels and be available for interviews.
January 9, 2026 at 10:32 AM
esa.int
Hi Chris, no skating yet, but the temps are set drop over the weekend, with some more snow, according to the forecasts, so we'll see... ⛸️😉
January 8, 2026 at 9:18 PM
esa.int
More info 👇 esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Space_for_our_climate/Tiny_patches_of_deforestation_drive_tropical_carbon_loss
Tiny patches of deforestation drive tropical carbon loss
Often called Earth’s green lungs, tropical forests pull down massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, release oxygen and help regulate the global climate. While the threat of large-scale...
esa.int
January 8, 2026 at 4:51 PM
esa.int
🆕 The threat of large-scale deforestation is well known, but this new study reveals a surprising risk factor: small clearings of tropical forest account for more than half of net carbon losses across the Tropics.

📷 These satellite images show how deforestation has expanded in Peru’s Loreto region.
NASA’s Landsat-5 image from 10 July 1995 of the Loreto region in Peru Copernicus Sentinel-2 image from 3 August 2020 of the Loreto region in Peru
January 8, 2026 at 4:50 PM
esa.int
2026 will be one of the most mission-dense and strategically important years in our history.

Together with our Member States and partners, we are strengthening Europe’s role in space for science, security, sustainability, and exploration. 🌍✨

🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueBf...
ESA preview 2026
YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA
www.youtube.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by European Space Agency
exploration.esa.int
🏗️ ESM-4 has reached its new home
Now at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, engineers will spend the next months testing the module and connecting it to the rest of the Orion spacecraft for the #Artemis IV mission, which will deliver @esa.int's first module for the Gateway: Lunar I-Hab 🌙

📸: NASA
January 8, 2026 at 9:25 AM
esa.int
More information on this year's ESA budget:
www.esa.int/About_Us/Cor...
January 8, 2026 at 9:37 AM
esa.int
🔴 Live now: follow our press press briefing with @josefaschbacher.esa.int to hear about the main milestones for ESA in 2026.

🔗 watch.esa.int/two
esa.int European Space Agency @esa.int · 5d
#ComingUp: Join us today at 10:30 CET for the start-of-the-year press briefing with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher from ESA HQ in Paris.

📺 Watch Live on #ESAWebTV
🔗 watch.esa.int/two/
January 8, 2026 at 9:32 AM
esa.int
#ComingUp: Join us today at 10:30 CET for the start-of-the-year press briefing with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher from ESA HQ in Paris.

📺 Watch Live on #ESAWebTV
🔗 watch.esa.int/two/
January 8, 2026 at 6:59 AM
esa.int
📷 These #Copernicus Sentinel-2 images show Brussels and Amsterdam covered in snow on 6 January 2026. ❄️

The winter weather caused widespread disruption, with hazardous road conditions and numerous train and flight cancellations reported throughout the week. 🧪🔭
This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 6 January 2026, shows Brussels and snowy surroundings in Belgium. The city’s dense urban centre contrasts sharply with the lighter tones of snow-covered parks, residential neighbourhoods and nearby rural landscapes, while major transport corridors remain visible beneath the wintry cover. Brussels airport, in the top right of the image, can be seen surrounded by snow, for example. This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 6 January 2026, shows Amsterdam in the Netherlands blanketed in snow. The city’s canals, parks and dense urban fabric are clearly outlined beneath the white covering, highlighting both the snowfall and the mission’s ability to monitor weather events and their impacts on urban areas from space.
January 7, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by European Space Agency
science.esa.int
Our #MarsExpress has spotted martian winds whipping up sand grains and acting as a cosmic sandblaster, carving our intriguing grooves in the Red Planet's surface.

More info, images and zoom in 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
🔭 🧪
A satellite view of a section of Mars’s surface. The terrain is mostly smooth and sandy-coloured, with a large circular impact crater on the right side. The crater has a raised rim and a flat centre. To the left, there is a broad area of darker, rough-textured streaks spreading diagonally, contrasting with the lighter surrounding surface. The overall colour palette is shades of tan and reddish-brown, typical of Martian soil.
January 7, 2026 at 10:04 AM
esa.int
Our start-of-the-year press briefing will now begin at 10:30 CET on Thursday, 8 January at ESA HQ in Paris.

✅ Registrations close today at 17:00 CET.
esa.int European Space Agency @esa.int · 28d
#MediaInvitation: journalists are invited to our start-of-the-year press briefing with Director General Josef Aschbacher on Thursday 8 January 2026 from 10:00 CET at ESA HQ in Paris.

Details and registration 👇
www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...
January 6, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Reposted by European Space Agency
science.esa.int
📣 Scientists using Hubble have uncovered a new type of astronomical object! 

This starless, dark-matter-dominated cloud is a relic from the early Universe, a failed galaxy.

Read more 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cloud-9_a_new_celestial_object_found_by_Hubble

🔭 🧪
A region of space mostly filled with background galaxies, with one prominent star at upper left. A large blob of purple haze occupies much of the field. Within the purple region, an unremarkable area is outlined with a dashed white circle.
January 5, 2026 at 5:15 PM
esa.int
#ICYMI here's the replay of today's #εpsilon media event www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z32o...
Press conference with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot
YouTube video by ESA Extras
www.youtube.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by European Space Agency
exploration.esa.int
Big journeys start small 🌱

Today, @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot planted her tree at the European Astronaut Centre for her first mission, #εpsilon — a tradition celebrating her achievements and the connection between space explorers and Earth 🚀🌍

🔗 esa.int/Science_Expl...
From roots to rocket
On 5 January 2026, the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, hosted a special tradition: the planting of an astronaut tree by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot in honour of her firs...
esa.int
January 5, 2026 at 2:31 PM