European Space Agency

We're the European Space Agency, keeping you posted on European space activities.

Please see our Privacy Notice:

[European Space Agency @esa]

This month at ESA: asteroid flybys, Mars landing tests, space telescope discoveries and more... May 2026 had a lot to offer.

[European Space Agency @esa]

New research reveals vast clay deposits at our Rosalind Franklin rover landing site, pointing to a once water-rich Mars and strengthening the search for signs of past life.

Read more: https://t.co/NNkB0NfZS8

@esaspaceflight @esascience

[Adenot Sophie @Soph_astro]

Day 109, orbit 1691 — So happy to see my little plants 🌱 growing as part of the @CNES ChlorISS experiment!
More than 260,000 students also took part in this educational project from their classrooms, exploring the influence of light and the effects of gravity on plant growth.

I hope the students had a great time, enjoyed learning about the scientific method and that ChlorISS sparked their curiosity.

Congratulations to everyone 👏 and a big thank you to all the teachers who embarked on this adventure!

This timelapse video shows the very first step of the experiment: watering each substrate to trigger germination.

🙏 Special thanks to all the teams behind #ChlorISS: CNES, Sorbonne University, the French Ministry of Education, the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, and ESA!

🎥 @esa / @NASA
Edited by @CNES

#εpsilon • @esaspaceflight •  @Space_Station • @NASAJohnson

[European Space Agency @esa]

🚀 Join us at ILA Berlin 2026 (10-14 June) for a week of panels, conferences and media opportunities at the Space Pavilion under the theme #Space4Future.

Programme and media accreditation 🔗 https://t.co/IFIRRDAUzk

[ESA Webb Telescope @ESA_Webb]

🆕 This black hole could have formed as early as a second after the Big Bang!

Read more: https://t.co/0VNvIxz0ci or 🧵👇

[European Space Agency @esa]

Europe is facing an exceptional heatwave.

[ESA Earth Observation @ESA_EO]

Are you feeling the heat too?🥵

A heatwave is driving temperatures far above average across much of Western Europe and the UK, with record May temperatures reported in several countries.

This map shows land surface temperatures across Europe, using @CopernicusEU Sentinel-3 data from 26 May 2026.

🔗https://t.co/lsHPiYeKVO

[Human Spaceflight @esaspaceflight]

The International @Space_Station was heaving with science in 2025:

🧪 +750 experiments
📚 +500 publications
✍️ 50 European papers
📈 +50% return on investment

Here are some European research highlights from the latest report 👇🧵

[European Space Agency @esa]

@NASA_Johnson @NASAArtemis 😎👍

[European Space Agency @esa]

@RW44920380 @NASA_Johnson @NASAArtemis That’d be the remote cameras on the ESM’s solar wings…😉

[Human Spaceflight @esaspaceflight]

🔊 These speakers go to 140 dB 🤘
Our European Service Module for Artemis III successfully passed its acoustic test at @NASAKennedy, proving it is ready to survive the intense vibrations from the rocket launch 🚀
Find out more 🔗 https://t.co/dw8nRMUtcZ

[European Space Agency @esa]

🔴 #LiveNow 📺 https://t.co/Yqixl3tb0l

#GLOBSEC26

[European Space Agency @esa]

#WatchLive: today at 16:10 CEST from #GLOBSEC2026 in Prague: ESA DG @AschbacherJosef joins a panel on how space capabilities are shaping Europe’s security and strategic autonomy.

🔗 https://t.co/Yqixl3tb0l

[ESA Science @esascience]

Follow a total solar eclipse with us! ☀️ 🌑 🌍

Join us for the 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse either in person in León, Spain or follow our live broadcast from wherever you are.

All details, including educational resources, are available here 👉 https://t.co/ptVdvsaQFL

[European Space Agency @esa]

#WatchLive: today at 16:10 CEST from #GLOBSEC2026 in Prague: ESA DG @AschbacherJosef joins a panel on how space capabilities are shaping Europe’s security and strategic autonomy.

🔗 https://t.co/Yqixl3tb0l

[Josef Aschbacher @AschbacherJosef]

🇪🇸 This week's mission to Spain has highlighted a deepening relationship with @ESA – and an increase in Spanish leadership in the space sector.

In Madrid, I met PM @sanchezcastejon and Minister @DianaMorantR to discuss Spain’s rising role in space and Europe’s autonomy, security & competitiveness. With Minister Morant, I also signed a Memorandum of Intent on secure connectivity aimed at strengthening cooperation on Europe’s future infrastructure.

Spain is a key pillar of Europe’s space ambitions.

[European Space Agency @esa]

In case you missed it 👉
https://t.co/6KOD2ZLNhN

[European Space Agency @esa]

🔴 #LiveNow from 14:45 BST/15:45 CEST, @Soph_astro inflight call from the @Space_Station on https://t.co/TREugT3NB2

[Human Spaceflight @esaspaceflight]

Three months into her #εpsilon mission on board the International @Space_Station, ESA astronaut @Soph_astro will hold a press briefing (in English and French) this afternoon at 15:45 CET/13:45 GMT.

📺 Tune in via https://t.co/i3auH72eXu, channel 2.

[ESA Science @esascience]

What is Smile set out to discover?

This groundbreaking mission will observe Earth’s magnetosphere in X-rays while capturing the northern lights in ultraviolet, offering an entirely new way to see how our planet defends itself from solar storms.

[European Space Agency @esa]

✅ Mission success for Smile.

Following lift-off on Vega-C at 05:52 CEST, separation at 06:48 CEST and solar panels deployment at 06:49 CEST, Smile is now underway to study Earth’s magnetic shield.

🔗 https://t.co/wb8pr92y8z

@esascience @ESA_transport @CNES @Avio_Group @CAS__Science