European Space History

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social

Enjoying the history of the European space adventure. Continuing from @ESA_History on Twitter.

See our other channels: https://linktr.ee/european_space_history

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 10:12 PM

#OTD 10 October 1846, Triton, the largest moon of Neptune, was discovered by British astronomer William Lassell, 17 days after discovery of Neptune itself🧪🔭
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triton_...

A black and white mosaic of the moon Triton, constructed from Voyager 2 images. Triton's large south polar cap dominates most of the image, with cryovolcanic features such as Leviathan Patera located left of centre.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 10:24 PM

#OTD 8 October 1965, during his European tour, US astronaut John Glenn signs the plaster cast of German youngster Jens-Olaf Husfeld in Hamburg.

The black-and-white photo shows John Glenn (left) smiling as he autographs the arm cast, with the young boy looking on and a girl plus adults observing in the background.

@derek.space Sep 16, 2026, 3:06 AMReposted by @eurospacehistory.bsky.social

NASA released a bunch of 16 and 35mm film engineering footage of the Artemis II launch today. Naturally I knew what I had to do with it.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 9:39 PM

#OTD 8 October 2023, launch of Vega VV23 from Europe's Spaceport with 12 satellites on board. The main passengers were the Earth-observing THEOS-2 satellite and the meteorological satellite Triton 🌍🧪

www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... @transport.esa.int @esaearth.esa.int @cnes.fr

Liftoff of Vega flight VV23 into the night sky. As the rocket clears the ground the white smoke from the engines can be clearly seen in the darkness.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 9:32 PM

#OTD 8 October 1969, Apollo 11 crew Neil Armstrong,
Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins visited RAI Amsterdam in the Netherlands, to tour an exhibition of science and industry, featuring an ESRO stand highlighting the ESTEC facility.

More about Apollo 11 post-flight tour www.wingnet.org/rtw/RTW005JJ...

Apollo 11 crew in dark grey suits being guided around the RAI exhibition following 'moonboot' footprints in the floor.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 6:55 PM

#FromTheBasement is a new series of interesting images found while clearing out our old storage areas 📸 Some great finds! Posting weekly. Stay tuned! 😎

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 11:34 AM

#FromTheBasement: A beautiful view of preparations for the Ariane 4 V69 flight from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. This pic was taken just before V69's liftoff on 1 November 1994, carrying the Astra 1D satellite🧪

www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... @esaconnectivity.esa.int @transport.esa.int @cnes.fr

Black silhouettes of the Ariane 4 V69 rocket, its launch tower and mobile transport tower seen against the Sun, possibly a sunset, and a graduated orange to dark red sky.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 11:23 AM

This week's Google-doodle is about #WorldSpaceWeek! 🧪🔭

doodles.google/doodle/space...

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 8:42 PM

Some more pics of the ESA/NASA Ulysses spacecraft deployment after launch on the US Space Shuttle STS-41 mission #ThisWeek in 1990... 🧪🔭

See flic.kr/s/aHBqjD3JRy @science.esa.int

The Ulysses spacecraft heads toward its mission to the Sun as it departs Discovery's cargo bay.

The deployment scene was recorded on video by the five-member Discovery crew and downlinked later.

These stills were made from onboard closed-circuit TV camera film after it was brought back to Earth by the crew.

The Ulysses spacecraft at a distance some time after deployment, captured by telephoto lens

The Ulysses spacecraft at a distance some time after deployment, captured by telephoto lens over blue and white cloudy Earth surface

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 11:23 AM

Great write-up about the launch here from @americaspace.bsky.social:

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 11:22 AM

#ThisWeek in 1990: the joint ESA/NASA Ulysses spacecraft was launched on Space Shuttle STS-41 from Kennedy Space Center on 6 October. Ulysses was the first mission to study the environment above and below the poles of the Sun 🧪🔭

www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @science.esa.int @esa.int

Technicians at work on Ulysses in ESA's ESTEC test centre, in the Netherlands

A photograph of the liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery with the Ulysses spacecraft on board. The launch took place during the day, the clear blue sky can be seen in the background with the smoke and flames from the boosters blowing out from underneath the Shuttle.

ESA's Ulysses, attached to the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) and Payload Assist Module (PAM)-S, seen from STS-41 drifting above Earth in the moments after deployment on 6 October 1990. Shortly after this image was taken, the attached upper stage boosters would propel the craft faster than any previous human-made object out of Earth’s gravitational clutches (pic: NASA)

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 10:18 AM

Follow the finale of ESA’s εpsilon mission today, setting a new record for the longest single European spaceflight of 236 days. With Sophie reaching the mark of 200 consecutive days on the ISS on 3 September, she passed ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano’s previous record from his Beyond mission.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 10:13 AM

Here's some footage of this launch (no sound unfortunately), ESRO-1A on 3 October 1968! (video: AP/BritishMovietone)

@apnews.com @science.esa.int @esa.int

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 1:54 PM

Interesting piece about UK space artist Ralph Smith…

@aseastronauts.bsky.social Oct 5, 2026, 10:00 PMReposted by @eurospacehistory.bsky.social

#HappyBirthday to ASE member André Kuipers, who flew to space twice between 2004 and 2012 (Soyuz TMA-4 and Soyuz TMA-03M) as part of trips and expeditions aboard the International Space Station (Expedition 30/31)!

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 4, 2026, 9:35 AM

#OTD 4 October 2021, ESA’s
@thom-astro.bsky.social Pesquet 🇫🇷 became the first French and fourth European commander of the ISS when he took over from JAXA astronaut Aki Hoshide during Expedition 65.

www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @esa.int @cnes.fr @exploration.esa.int @fr.esa.int

A photograph of Thomas Pesquet and his fellow astronaut Aki Hoshide in the Japanese Kibo module on the International Space Station. They are facing the camera with their arms folded, Thomas is wearing the shirt of the French international rugby team. Aki is wearing the shirt of the Japanese international rugby team.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 3, 2026, 8:01 AM

#OTD 3 October 1994, Ulf Merbold 🇩🇪 becomes the first ESA astronaut to fly on a Soyuz, travelling to the Mir space station on the Soyuz TM-20 EuroMir'94 mission🧪

See mission highlights👇️
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
@exploration.esa.int @de.esa.int @dlr-de.bsky.social #Space #History #SpaceHistory

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 3, 2026, 6:00 AM

#OTD 3 October 1968, the ESRO-1A satellite was launched on a Scout rocket from Vandenberg AFB, California, the third successful #ESRO launch 🧪🔭

www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... @science.esa.int @technology.esa.int @nl.esa.int

White-coated techicians surround ESRO-1A during integration with its Scout launcher at the Western Test Range, California. ESRO-1A examined how the auroral zones responded to geomagnetic and solar activity. ESRO-1A was launched 3 October 1968 and reentered 26 June 1970;

Black and white photo of the launch of ESRO-1B on a white Scout rocket from Vandenberg AFB, October 1968

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 6:00 AM

#OTD 2 October 1991, launch of the Soyuz TM-13 AustroMir '91 mission to the Mir space station with the first Austrian cosmonaut Franz Viehböck 🇦🇹 on board 🧪

@exploration.esa.int @de.esa.int @aseastronauts.bsky.social

Liftoff of Soyuz TM-13 set against a blue sky

A photograph of Franz Viehböck working on the Mir space station during his 'Austromir' mission. He is showing an instruction manual to the camera.

@eurospacehistory.bsky.social Oct 1, 2026, 1:59 PM

#OTD 1 October 1969, the ESRO-1B satellite was launched on a Scout rocket from Vandenberg AFB, California, the fourth successful #ESRO launch 🧪🔭

www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... @science.esa.int @technology.esa.int @nl.esa.int

ESRO-1, vibration test at ESTEC, Noordwijk, the Netherlands, June 1969 (pic: ESA)

ESRO-1B during the functional testing (pic: ESA)

The Scout rocket with the ESRO-1B spacecraft in launch position, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (pic: NASA)

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