European Space Agency

@esa.int

Elevating the future of Europe 🌎🪐

Space is our middle name.

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@operations.esa.intReposted by @esa.int

Imagine throwing a ball up into the sky so hard it just keeps going - that's our Hera mission, now nearing its target asteroids across millions of km of space.
🛰️ 🪨
But how does Hera know where it is & where it needs to go? Thanks goes to ESA's Flight Dynamics team! www.esa.int/Space_Safety...

@esa.int

Mission accomplished. ✅

After 237 days in space, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot has returned safely to Earth, concluding her record-breaking #εpsilon mission packed with science, technology demonstrations and three spacewalks.

Welcome home, Sophie!!

Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

@operations.esa.intReposted by @esa.int

🎂Happy birthday Hera🛰️! ESA’s asteroid mission for planetary defence lifted off two years ago today! 📽️But where is Hera about to arrive at, and how might its discoveries one day help save planet Earth...?

@transport.esa.intReposted by @esa.int

Second fuelling rehearsal ✅

Themis, @esa.int's reusable rocket stage demonstrator, has complete its second 'wet dress rehearsal' at Esrange Space Center in Sweden on 29 September.

The rocket prototype was filled with liquid nitrogen to test the complete system.

Themis standing on its legs during second wet dress rehearsal at Esrange Space Center in Sweden.
@science.esa.intReposted by @esa.int

A glowing stellar nursery 👶⭐

Webb’s infrared sensitivity has revealed the protostars & stars of NGC 7129, a stellar nursery that lies 3,300 light-years from Earth.

In the centre, lies the massive star LkH(alpha) 234, which has carved into its cloudy surroundings 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

🔭 🧪

A young star cluster filled with many stars that display Webb’s unique eight-pronged diffraction pattern. At its center is a yellow star which sports the largest diffraction pattern. To the left of the star, there is a region filled with yellow dust and gas that extends from the star to the left border of the image. This yellow region extends from the bottom, covering about two-thirds of the image. The yellow region has several blue stars of different sizes embedded within. The top third, which lies outside of the yellow region, holds a few bright protostars, within dense gray gas. Those stars illuminate the gas, making it appear blue. A few red outflows from other protostars are visible above this grayish-blue region. To the right of the central star, there is a clumpy, flame-like plume of red dust and gas with protostars that emit a soft white light within. The plume is surrounded by more dense gray gas and dust. There are several background galaxies strewn throughout the image. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI)
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