European Space Agency

A snowy rural landscape with scattered houses and winding roads. Forested patches cast long shadows across the partially snow‑covered ground, suggesting low winter sunlight. The scene shows a small settlement surrounded by natural terrain.

An alpine town in winter, viewed from above. Snow covers rooftops and open areas. A large winding bobsled or luge track stands out on the hillside, surrounded by forest. Dense clusters of buildings fill the valley floor.

The city of Verona, divided by a curving river, surrounded by farmland and lowland fields. The urban area is densely built, while the outskirts transition into agricultural plots. Mountains rise to the north, creating a dramatic backdrop.

A satellite view of a rugged mountain range with deep valleys and extensive snow cover. Snow blankets the higher peaks, while darker forested areas appear at lower elevations. The landscape shows strong winter contrasts.

The Milano–Cortina 2026 #ParalympicGames open today in Verona’s historic Arena🏟

Satellites capture the scene from above: the Arena at the heart of the city, the snowy slopes in Cortina, and the cross-country tracks stretching across the valley in Tesero.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 will not impact the Moon Last year, an approximately 60 metre near-Earth object captured global attention. For a brief period, asteroid 2024 YR4 became the most dangerous asteroid discovered in the last 20 years. While an Ear...

This result was made possible by a close collaboration between ESA’s NEOCC, NASA’s CNEOS, and the Webb mission.

@stsci.edu @science.esa.int @operations.esa.int

🔗 www.esa.int/Space_Safety...

James Webb Space Telescope spots faint asteroid 2024 YR4

☄️ Asteroid 2024 YR4 will not impact the Moon in 2032!

New observations from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have confirmed that the object will pass safely at a distance of more than 20 000 km.

(Pic: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, M. Micheli (ESA NEOCC)

Celeste in-orbit demonstration satellites

#MediaInvitation: Journalists are invited to join the online media briefing for the first launch of Celeste.

The launch is scheduled no earlier than 24 March aboard @rocketlabcorp.com’s rocket from New Zealand.

Register now 👉 www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...

@thalesaleniaspace.bsky.social #GMV

This result was made possible by a close collaboration between ESA’s NEOCC, NASA’s CNEOS, and the Webb mission.

🔗 esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/Asteroid_2024_YR4_will_not_impact_the_Moon

@operations.esa.int @science.esa.int @stsci.edu

🆕 Cast your mind back to May 2024... remember how a massive solar storm triggered northern lights across Europe?

We can now reveal how this same solar storm affected Mars, thanks to clever teamwork from our two Mars orbiters.

Find out more 👉
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
🔭 🧪 ☀️

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher

#MediaInvitation: journalists are invited to join an information session on the outcomes of the 345th ESA Council meeting.

The briefing takes place 19 March at 14:00 CET/13:00 GMT, with registration open until 16 March.

Details and registration 👇 www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...

A high‑resolution overhead view of a rocky, desert‑like landscape on Mars. The surface is mostly reddish‑brown with patches of darker blue‑grey tones. Many circular impact craters of different sizes are scattered across the scene, some with raised rims and shadowed interiors. Subtle ridges, eroded valleys, and textured terrain patterns run diagonally through the image, giving a sense of ancient geological activity. The overall impression is of a dry, rugged, and heavily cratered Martian surface.

Craters, craters, and yet more craters! Our latest snapshot from Mars Express is packed full of them.

Discover this slice of ancient, battered land in more depth, including a zoomable, labelled version of this main image as well as close-up and 3D views 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

🔭 🧪

Two images of a planetary nebula in space. The image to the left, labelled “Euclid & Hubble”, shows the whole nebula and its surroundings. A star in the very centre is surrounded by white bubbles and loops of gas, all shining with a powerful blue light. Farther away a broken ring of red and blue gas clouds surrounds the nebula. The background shows many stars and distant galaxies. A white box indicates the centre of the nebula and this region is the image to the right, labelled “Hubble”. It shows the multi-layered bubbles, pointed jets and circular shells of gas that make up the nebula, as well as the central star, in greater detail.

📸 This new NASA/ESA #Hubble Space Telescope image features the Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543).

Hubble’s sharp vision meets Euclid’s wide view to uncover this spectacular portrait of a dying star.

esahubble.org/images/potm2...

@science.esa.int @stsci.edu

🚀 The ESA XR Conference is almost here!

Join experts and innovators from the space community to explore the latest immersive technologies.

📅 17–18 March 2026
📍 European Astronaut Centre (EAC), Cologne, Germany
⏳ Register by 13 March.

👉 Register here: atpi.eventsair.com/cmspreview/e...

Spread your wings, ALTIUS!
The team at Redwire Space in Belgium has passed a major milestone for @esa.int ’s ozone‑monitoring mission: they successfully tested the deployment of the satellite’s two solar panels — a critical step in preparing it for life in orbit.

Grounding line retreat on West Antarctica, 1992-2025

Grounding lines and ice loss around Antarctica, 1992-2025

🧊Antarctica’s grounding lines have remained stable along most of the coast for 30 years — but not everywhere.

A new study using data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and other missions shows retreat of up to 40 km in vulnerable regions, signaling future ice loss risk.

www.esa.int/Applications...

What if spacecraft could be made of a material that heals itself? 🩹♻️
Project Cassandra is developing a carbon-fibre material with sensors to detect damage and a heating element, allowing spacecraft to autonomously repair initial stages of damage.

Details: www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

How we made history by landing on a comet? YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA

22 years ago today, we launched our comet chaser mission #Rosetta. ☄️

Discover how we made history with the first comet landing, in this video. 🧪🔭

youtu.be/QzVzcL3vqbg?...

@science.esa.int @operations.esa.int

ESA and GSMA Foundry representatives during Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona

🗞️ESA partners up with the GSMA foundry to fund up to 100 million on seamless connectivity🌐

From using AI to better transition between satellite and ground networks to supporting projects to connect phones directly to satellites, companies are invited to submit ideas🤖🤳

www.esa.int/Applications...

NGC 1637 (Hubble WFC3 and Webb NIRCam images)

Unfolding MetOp-SG-B1’s solar wing

Orbital plumbing maintenance aboard the International Space Station

Earth from Space: Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica

📸 This was our #WeekInImages 23-27 February 2026.

🔗 www.esa.int/About_Us/Wee...

This image from 14 February, which is late summer in the southern hemisphere, shows minimum seasonal sea-ice conditions with large areas of open water which appears black. White sea ice at varying stages floats in the water: from thin, newly-formed crusts to thicker floes. These countless pieces of ice trace out the ocean currents beneath, resulting in large swirling shapes.

This week's #EarthFromSpace is a Copernicus Sentinel-2 image of the Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica. 🌏

🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/02/Earth_from_Space_Terra_Nova_Bay_Antarctica

@esaearth.esa.int #earthobservation

A white, glowing egg-shaped object lies in the centre of the black-and-white image, on a dark, starry background. Glowing streaks spread upwards from the object. In the top left, a yellow arrow marked ‘Sun’ points straight down, and a blue arrow marked ‘Velocity’ points towards the 7 o’clock direction. In the bottom left, an inset shows the same object on a lighter grey starry background, filled with ragged-edged, concentric egg shapes gradiented black-to-white.

Our first glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS from Juice's science camera 😍☄️

The precious data from the mission's November observations of the interstellar comet arrived on Earth last week. Teams are now digging in to discover what they reveal.

Stay tuned for updates!

More 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
🔭 🧪

BepiColombo approaching Mercury

More information about upcoming milestones👇

esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/BepiColombo

@operations.esa.int @science.esa.int

☀️🌑🛰️ 2026: The year we arrive at Mercury!

After almost 8 years since its launch in 2018, BepiColombo is entering its most critical phase yet. It is about to end its interplanetary phase and initiate its Mercury approach.

#MediaInvitation: journalists are invited to join the media programme for the launch of #Smile on Vega‑C #VV29, launch window 8 April – 7 May.

🔗 esa.int/Newsroom/Press_Releases/Call_for_interest_media_programme_for_launch_of_Smile_mission_at_Europe_s_Spaceport

@science.esa.int @transport.esa.int

www.amsterdamspacesymposium.com

@esaearth.esa.int @technology.esa.int @nl.esa.int

🚀 Meet us at the Amsterdam Space Symposium on 3-4 March.

The event features our Director of Technology Dietmar Pilz and our Director of Earth Observation Simonetta Cheli.

#amsterdamspacesymposium #spaceforclimate

Discover our world-first gigabit-per-second laser link between aircraft and geostationary satellite 👇

The nebula appears to have distinct regions that capture different phases of its evolution: an outer shell of gas that was blown off first and consists mostly of hydrogen, and an inner cloud with more structure that contains a mix of different gases. Both Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) show a distinctive dark lane running vertically through the middle of the nebula that defines its brain-like look of left and right hemispheres. Webb’s resolution shows that this lane could be related to an outburst or outflow from the central star, which typically occurs as twin jets burst out in opposite directions. Evidence for this is particularly notable at the top of the nebula in Webb’s image, where it looks like the inner gas is being ejected outward.

🆕 These new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope images show the Cranium Nebula using two instruments that reveal enhanced details of its brain‑like appearance. 🧠🧪🔭

🔗 esawebb.org/news/weic2605/

@science.esa.int @stsci.edu

Solar wing in action!
Here’s MetOp‑SG‑B1’s four-panel solar wing unfolding during a test by @airbus.com for @eumetsat.int.
Why just one wing?
In its sun‑synchronous orbit, one side stays sunlit almost all the time: perfect for a single, large solar array that gives the satellite its asymmetric look.

Climbing up to Mount Halti's peak

HALTI's jacket, which incorporates a textile antenna

Members which collaborated with the trial wearing HALTI's jacket

🌐🧥What if your clothes could send a signal when your phone can't?

@esa.int helped Finnish company Stealthcase develop a textile antenna that can be incorporated into clothing and provides you with wireless connectivity thanks to geostationary satellites 36000km away!🛰️

www.esa.int/Applications...

Check out this Tech Image of the Week, featuring Europe’s ‘flattest floor’ inside our Orbital Robotics Laboratory at ESTEC.

Learn more 👉 esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Crawling_gripping_and_floating_above_ESA_s_flat_floor

Meet Greta, a new European rocket engine 🔥

A 5 kN thrust class rocket engine fuelled by hydrogen peroxide and ethanol, which can be restarted several times.

Greta fired for over 40 seconds continuously, multiple times, showing stable operations, including controlled shutdowns.

🎥 ArianeGroup

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