A wide view of the Martian surface seen from above. The landscape is split into two contrasting halves: the left side is lighter, sandy beige with faint ridges and cracks, while the right side is darker, reddish-brown and more heavily cratered. The boundary between the two regions is uneven and gradual, creating a striking colour contrast across the scene.

Mars Express has captured a blanket of dark ash creeping across the Red Planet.

It has spread hundreds of kilometres in less than 50 years.

🔭 🧪
#planetsci
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ESA, DLR, CSA and Kepler Communications representatives at HydRON's signature

Mina Mitry, CEO of Kepler Communications (left) shaking hands with Laurent Jaffart, ESA Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity (right)

HydRON, Europe's laser network in space, is moving ahead ⚡➡️

Kepler Communications was awarded the contract to lead HydRON’s evolution.

They will ensure the optical communications system works across different technologies and companies, like one phone running many apps. 📱

This is NASA's #Artemis II crew, spotted from Earth while returning from their epic journey 🚀 🌕

⏭️ Next up, teams are preparing for the mission's upcoming Earth gravity assist manoeuvre later this year in September.

April 14, 2023: Launch of the Juice mission on an Ariane 5 launcher.

Juice images Earth during lunar-Earth flyby

First radargram from Juice’s RIME instrument

Juice's full path, 3 years into its journey.

Three years since Juice launched on its journey to Jupiter. 🧪🔭

Arriving in 2031, it will explore the giant planet and its icy ocean moons, seeking to study them as both planetary objects and possible habitats.

More info 👇 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

Artemis II: Around the Moon in 10 days YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA

Artemis II just took humankind farther than ever before. 🚀

Our European Service Module sent Orion around the Moon and safely back home, providing power, propulsion and life support for the crew.

Relive the mission with our highlights video. 👇

@exploration.esa.int

Congratulations @exploration.esa.int!
🌒🚀 Europe is proud to have enabled #Artemis II with the European Service Module - delivering propulsion, power and life support for Orion and its crew.

Built by European industry and monitored 24/7 by ESA teams, the ESM is a strong example of ESA technologies.

First Proba-3 science: surprisingly speedy solar wind Since July 2025, the European Space Agency’s pair of Proba-3 satellites has already created 57 artificial solar eclipses. So far, the mission has collected more than 250&...

The first Proba-3 science results are in!

☀️🏃‍♀️‍➡️🏃‍♀️‍➡️🏃‍♀️‍➡️ Close to the Sun, it spotted solar wind moving 3–4 times faster than expected

Curious? 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

@orb-ksb.bsky.social @technology.esa.int

Artist's impression of Venus Express orbit insertion. Venus fills the background and we cannot see the entire planet. The spacecraft is seen burning its engines.

20 years ago, on 11 April 2006, Venus Express was making history by entering orbit around Venus.

Europe’s first mission to Venus answered many questions, especially concerning the planet’s atmosphere.

Still, many mysteries remained. 1/2 🔭 🧪

"Day 057, orbit 0896 – Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 3: Weighing yourself in weightlessness, part 2 ⚖️.
The device used in this video to measure mass is called the Mass Measurement Device (MMD) or Измеритель Масс (ИМ) in Russian!", explains @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot 👇

Forward to the Moon 👉🌕
Our lunar team lead Sara Pastor tells you about what's next for Moon exploration 🚀
blogs.esa.int/orion/2026/0...

The European Service Module ;-)

NASA's Orion spacecraft and its crew splashed down safely in a deep blue Pacific Ocean, marking the successful end of the Artemis II mission.

🎉#Artemis II update: Integrity is back on Earth! At 01:07 BST/02:07 CEST, Orion and its crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
🚀Our European Service Module propelled Orion over 1 million km through deep space, before burning up in Earth's atmosphere, its job complete 🔥

www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

View of spacecraft with three red and white main parachutes deployed, view of sunlit ocean behind.

View of spacecraft with three red and white main parachutes deployed, view of dark blue ocean behind.

✅ #Artemis II splashdown at 01:07 BST/02:07 CEST!

👏

🛰️ Our European Service Module has successfully separated from Orion's crew module!
🚀 After propelling the spacecraft over 1 million km in deep space, it will now burn up in Earth's atmosphere, as the astronauts continue their journey home 🌍

🫡

View of half-illuminated Earth, blue surface and white clouds, from one of European Service Module's solar array cams, the service module is on the left in partial shadow.

✅ #Artemis II update: Day 10, Orion travelling at 15 884 km/h, 31 182 km from Earth and 359 527 km from the Moon. View now from one of European Service Module's solar array cams (pic: NASA). Safe travels, Integrity! Track at www.nasa.gov/missions/art...

@exploration.esa.int

ESA and Airbus on console in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room

The ESM spacecraft console in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room

The ESM propulsion console in Orion's Mission Evaluation Room

ESA at the ESM spacecraft console in Orion's Mission Evaluation Room

Behind the scenes at NASA's Johnson Space Center 👀
📈 @esa.int and Airbus engineers in the Orion Mission Evaluation Room are monitoring data from the European Service Module ahead of its separation from the crew module 🔀.
📸: ESA-M. Cowan

🥰🫡

✅ #ArtemisII update: European Service Module's last trajectory correction burn 👍

🌙 Managing the Artemis orchestra
Our @esa.int European Service Module managers take you behind the scenes of a lunar programme 🚀
blogs.esa.int/orion/2026/0...

Earth getting bigger, seen from cameras on the European Service Module on 10 April, as the Artemis II mission approaches its conclusion. Orion seen on left with a solar array wing across top of the image.

💻 #WatchLive: the final stages of the #Artemis II mission from 23:30 BST/00:30 CEST on youtube.com/watch?v=nfhD...

Expected times in CEST:
🚀01:33 Separation of European Service Module
🌠01:53 Crew Module reentry begins
🪂02:03 Parachute deployment
💦02:07 Splashdown

@exploration.esa.int

yup You're right... stand by

🛰️ A European first! ESA’s Celeste broadcasts first navigation signal from low Earth orbit.

Sent from Celeste IOD-1, the signal is the first dual-frequency navigation message in the L- and S-band, the first sent from a European satellite in low-Earth orbit.

www.esa.int/Applications...

Members of the International Space Station Expedition 74 (left) including ESA's Sophie Adenot (on right of first screen) and Artemis II crew (right) are seen on screens inside the Space Station flight control room in Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The two crews were connected in a 15-minute video call on 7 April 2026, while the Artemis II crew was on its way back from the Moon.

✅ #Artemis II update: Day 9, Orion travelling at 4944 km/h, 212 895 km from Earth and 227 844 km from the Moon. Image shows yesterday's ship-to-ship call with members of Space Station Expedition 74 (pic: NASA). Track at nasa.gov/missions/art...

@exploration.esa.int @fr.esa.int

"Four crew members. One spacecraft. One global team." 🌍

From Mission Control’s Mission Evaluation Room, international experts such as @esa.int's Luca Fossati support the European Service Module - supplying Orion with propulsion, power, air and water for Artemis II

(📽️NASA) @exploration.esa.int

Day 054, orbit 0839 – In microgravity, things aren’t pulled downward like on Earth… Hair that naturally detaches doesn’t fall. 🧐 It stays with the rest of your hair (...) I brush my hair twice a day & I have never in my life collected so much hair on a brush”, explains ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot.

Yes, we realise this. Sadly, there are some outlets just using logos with no connection with NASA, so it's not official NASA merch. Here's the link to our ESA shop if you're interested in some more ESA-branded items (official). shop.esa.int

Part of the Orion spacecraft pictured from one of the cameras mounted on its solar array wings. The European Service Module is prominently featured in this image showing a portion of the orbital manoeuvring system engine and three of eight auxiliary thrusters. Also pictured is one of the four solar array wings, and part of the Adapter Module at the top left.

Graphic showing Artemis II spacecraft position and trajectory

✅ #Artemis II update: Day 8, Orion picking up speed at 3250 km/h, 295 118 km from Earth and 152 470 km from the Moon. Image of the European Service Module, 7 April 2026 (pic: NASA). Track at nasa.gov/missions/art...

@exploration.esa.int