News

News

Unique exoplanet photobombs CHEOPS study of nearby star system
28 June 2021

While exploring two exoplanets in a bright nearby star system, ESA's exoplanet-hunting CHEOPS satellite has unexpectedly spotted the system's third known planet crossing the face of the star. This transit reveals exciting details about a rare planet "with no known equivalent", say the researchers.

ESA selects revolutionary Venus mission EnVision
10 June 2021

EnVision will be ESA's next Venus orbiter, providing a holistic view of the planet from its inner core to upper atmosphere to determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently.

ESA's exoplanet watcher CHEOPS reveals unique planetary system
25 January 2021

ESA's exoplanet mission CHEOPS has revealed a unique planetary system consisting of six exoplanets, five of which are locked in a rare rhythmic dance as they orbit their central star. The sizes and masses of the planets, however, don't follow such an orderly pattern.

Euclid's optical and infrared instruments integrated in spacecraft
21 December 2020

The optical and infrared instruments of Euclid, ESA's mission to study dark energy and dark matter in space, have passed their qualification and acceptance reviews and are now fully integrated into the spacecraft's payload module.

Solar Orbiter: turning pictures into physics
10 December 2020

Solar Orbiter's latest results show that the mission is making the first direct connections between events at the solar surface and what's happening in interplanetary space around the spacecraft. It is also giving us new insights into solar 'campfires', space weather and disintegrating comets.

Ariel moves from blueprint to reality
12 November 2020

ESA's exoplanet mission Ariel, scheduled for launch in 2029, has moved from study to implementation phase, following which an industrial contractor will be selected to build the spacecraft.

SPICA no longer candidate for ESA's M5 mission selection
15 October 2020

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS/JAXA) have announced their decision to no longer consider the infrared space observatory, SPICA, as a candidate for the upcoming selection as ESA's 5th medium-class mission in its Cosmic Vision...

Solar Orbiter releases first data to the public
30 September 2020

ESA has released its first Solar Orbiter data to the scientific community and the wider public. The instruments contributing to this data release come from the suite of in-situ instruments that measure the conditions surrounding the spacecraft.

Announcements

Announcements

Call for Membership of Topical Teams in the Voyage 2050 long-term plan in the ESA Science Programme
4 March 2019The next planning cycle in ESA's Science Programme, Voyage 2050, is now underway. Scientists interested in participating in the peer review process of the Voyage 2050 planning cycle are invited to respond to the Call for Membership of the Topical Teams. The deadline for receipt of applications has passed.
Call for White Papers in the Voyage 2050 long-term plan in the ESA Science Programme
4 March 2019The next planning cycle in ESA's Science Programme, Voyage 2050, is now underway. Ideas are solicited from the scientific community for the science themes that should be covered during the Voyage 2050 planning cycle, which covers the time period 2035-2050. The deadline for receipt of White Papers has passed.
Help shape ESA's space science programme
4 March 2019ESA's Science Directorate invited the public to share their views on the questions that Voyage 2050, ESA's space science programme for the 2035–2050 time frame, should address. The consultation period has passed and the survey is now closed.

Spacecraft Testing

Spacecraft Testing

#8: Successful integration of JUICE's 10.6-metre-long arm
15 April 2021

The development of ESA's JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) is continuing apace and has hit milestones in recent months: the spacecraft's 10.6-metre-long boom is now attached, many instruments have been integrated, and the mission's high-gain antenna has arrived and undergone rigorous vibration testing.

#7: All panels delivered for JUICE's solar wings
16 October 2020

All ten flight model solar panels for ESA's JUICE spacecraft have been delivered to Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands ready to be integrated into solar wings. The solar panels, with a total area of 85 m², are a key element of the mission, providing the necessary power to run the spacecraft and operate the science instruments.

#1: Euclid completes thermal-vacuum balance tests
10 October 2019

This is the first entry in the Euclid Test Campaign Journal, a series of articles covering the main events during testing of the Structural and Thermal Model (STM) and Flight Model (FM) of the spacecraft.

 

Latest Publications

Latest Publications

EnVision Assessment Study Report (Yellow Book)
18 February 2021

This is the Assessment Study Report (also known as the Yellow Book) for EnVision - a candidate mission for the M5 launch opportunity in Cosmic Vision.

THESEUS Assessment Study Report (Yellow Book)
18 February 2021

This is the Assessment Study Report (also known as the Yellow Book) for THESEUS (Transient High-Energy Sky and Early Universe Surveyor) - a candidate mission for the M5 launch opportunity in Cosmic Vision.

LISA Phase 0 CDF study - internal final presentation
5 May 2017The internal Phase 0 study of the Laser interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission has been performed at ESA's Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) and ran from 8 March to 5 May 2017. The internal final presentation, summarizing the outcome of the Phase 0 study, is now available for download.
European Space Agency Science Programme Technology Development Plan: Programme of Work for 2023, 2024 and 2025, and Related Procurement Plan
30 June 2020

This document presents the activities in the Science Core Technology Programme (CTP) and in the Technology Development Element (TDE, replacing the TRP) of the Discovery, Preparation & Technology Development Basic Activities supporting the implementation of ESA's Science Programme. The national initiatives activities of relevance to the...

The ESA L3 Gravitational Wave Mission - Gravitational Observatory Advisory Team Final Report
4 May 2016This is the final report from the Gravitational Observatory Advisory Team (GOAT). Following the selection of the science theme "The Gravitational Universe" for the L3 mission, the GOAT was established to advise on the scientific and technological approaches for a gravitational wave observatory with a planned launch date in 2034.
JUICE definition study report (Red Book)
30 September 2014Reference: ESA/SRE(2014)1. This report, the so-called Red Book, provides a scientific, technical and management summary of the JUICE definition study that was performed from February 2012 to October 2014.
CHEOPS Definition Study Report (Red Book)
19 December 2013Reference: ESA/SRE(2013)7. This Definition Study Report (also known as the Red Book) presents the outcome of the CHEOPS Definition study. It describes the resulting mission concept that will fulfil the mission science requirements, and therefore allow us to achieve the science objectives presented in the original proposal, and further detailed...
Report of the Senior Survey Committee on the selection on science themes for the L2 and L3 missions
28 November 2013A Senior Survey Committee was appointed by the Director of Science and Robotic Exploration to advise him on the definition of the science themes and questions to be addressed by the L2 and L3 missions, the next large missions in the Cosmic Vision programme. This report represents the synthesis of the committee's work and outlines their...
White Papers submitted in response to ESA's Call for Science Themes for the L2 and L3 Missions
5 July 2013This booklet is a compilation of the White Papers received from the scientific community in response to ESA's Call for Science Themes for the L2 and L3 Missions, issued in March 2013.
1-Jun-2024 09:19 UT

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