Workers are returning to Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana to resume preparations for Vega and Ariane 5 launches. Construction of the new Ariane 6 launch pad has also restarted.
COVID-19 lockdown measures introduced in March meant that all but safety-critical operations were suspended at the Spaceport and the vast site had to be secured. Strict new safety and hygiene procedures have now been introduced. Launch teams returning from mainland Europe will spend two weeks in quarantine.
Vega is due to return to flight this summer on its first rideshare mission dedicated to small satellites and Vega’s new dispenser called the Small Spacecraft Mission Service.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Earth observation satellites are guardians of our planet. Thanks to remote sensing technology and daily data collection, researchers are able to better monitor our planet’s oceans and rising sea levels from space. ESA senior advisor for Earth Observation programmes Jérôme Beneviste explains how ocean views from space play a role in climate change studies and natural catastrophe predictions.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of Abu Dhabi – one of the seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Artemis programme is bringing humans back to the Moon. It depends heavily on NASA’s Orion spacecraft that consists of a crew module and the European Service Module, which will provide propulsion, life support, environmental control and electrical power. Main contractor Airbus has just been green-lighted by ESA to develop a third European Service Module.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Cold, dark, remote, Antarctica is as close to space as you can get on Earth. Humans conduct research in Antarctic bases on a wide range of topics, from climate studies and astronomy to glaciology and human physiology and psychology. Dr. Stijn Thoolen, the ESA-sponsored research doctor based at the French/Italian Concordia research station in Antarctica, discusses life in isolation in what is often referred to as White Mars.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
With the Covid-19 pandemic halting our daily lives and forcing many countries and region into lockdown, the economic effects have been devastating. Closed borders have caused traffic jams and disrupted supply chains. In Europe, for example, the agriculture industry has suffered. Normally the industry relies on migrant labour to harvest crops, but as the lockdown continues, crops remain unpicked – putting farmers and the food supply under pressure. How can the food supply chain more sustainable?
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Unitevi all’astronauta ESA Samantha Cristoforetti per una visita guidata agli alloggi dell’equipaggio della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale – la camera da letto.
Dopo una giornata di lavoro ad eseguire esperimenti e a mantenere attivo il centro di ricerca in microgravità, gli astronauti possono ritirarsi nel proprio alloggio privato, che non è più grande di un un camerino. In questo piccolo spazio possono riporre oggetti personali, utilizzare un laptop per navigare in Internet e addormentarsi fluttuando nel proprio sacco a pelo.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives across the globe, Earth-observing satellites take the pulse of our planet from space. While the global lockdown has had a massive impact on daily life and the economy, there have been environmental benefits that are visible from space. How can we preserve these positives when returning to ‘business as usual’?
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over San Francisco Bay in the US state of California, in this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Featuring how the Sentinel-5P mission of the European Union’s Copernicus Programme has become a game-changer for monitoring our atmosphere while being one of the most important sources of data for the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Take a break with ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst, Samantha Cristoforetti, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet as they discuss living and working in space. In this video, our astronauts talk about their experiences of landing in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft upon returning from the International Space Station.
During a shared coffee break, Luca compares his first landing to his most recent landing – the second of which he found much softer than the first. Thomas finds humour in his experience of landing horizontally, while Alex describes a particularly high gravitational load on his return to Earth.
This clip is part of a series of four filmed in February 2020, following Luca’s return from the ISS mission on 6 February. It was filmed in the crew quarters of the German Aerospace Center DLR’s :envihab facility next to ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.
For more about Luca’s Beyond mission and other ESA astronaut-related content, visit the Exploration blog: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Each year, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope dedicates a small portion of its precious observing time to taking a special anniversary image, showcasing particularly beautiful and meaningful objects. These images continue to challenge scientists with exciting new surprises and to enthral the public with ever more evocative observations.
To celebrate Hubble’s 30th anniversary, let’s look back at the beauty and science behind each of the anniversary images unveiled as of 2005. In this video, we will also feature the very special 2020 Hubble Space Telescope 30th anniversary image.
Credit:
Directed by: Bethany Downer
Visual design and editing: Martin Kornmesser
Written by: Bethany Downer
Narration: Sara Mendes da Costa
Images & VIdeos: NASA, ESA, M.Kornmesser, L. Calçada, ESO, NAOJ, G. Bacon, L. Frattare, Z. Levay and F. Summers (STScI/AURA), D. Lennon and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI), J. Anderson, S.E. de Mink, R. van der Marel, T. Sohn, and N. Walborn (STScI), L. Bedin (INAF, Padua), C. Evans (STFC), H. Sana (Amsterdam), N. Langer (Bonn), P. Crowther (Sheffield), A. Herrero (IAC, Tenerife), N. Bastian (USM, Munich), and E. Bressert (ESO), the Hubble Heritage Team, T. Davis, L. Frattare, Z. Levay, (Viz 3D team, STScI), J. Anderson (STScI), the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science Team, Eckhard Slawik (e.slawik@gmx.net).
Music: Johan B. Monell (www.johanmonell.com
Web and technical support: Raquel Yumi Shida
Executive producer: Mariya Lyubenova
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
On 24 April 1990 the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope was sent into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery, the first space telescope of its kind. It offered a new view of the Universe and has, for 30 years, reached and surpassed all expectations, beaming back data and images that have changed scientists’ understanding of the Universe and the public’s perception of it. Hubble’s discoveries have revolutionised nearly all areas of current astronomical research, from planetary science to cosmology, and its pictures are unmistakably out of this world.
This video revisits some of Hubble’s biggest science discoveries throughout its three decades of operation to celebrate the telescope’s 30th anniversary.
Credit:
Directed by: Bethany Downer
Visual design and editing: Martin Kornmesser
Written by: Bethany Downer
Narration: Sara Mendes da Costa
Images & Videos: NASA, ESA, M.Kornmesser, L. Calçada, ESO, G. Bacon (STScI), theHubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and H. Bond (STScI and Pennsylvania State University), A. Feild (STScI), and A. Riess (STScI/JHU), D. Jewitt (UCLA), F. Summers, Z. Levay, J. DePasquale, L. Hustak, L. Frattare, M. Robberto (STScI), R. Hurt (Caltech/IPAC) Acknowledgement: R. Gendler, spaceengine.org.
Music: Johan B. Monell (www.johanmonell.com)
Web and technical support: Raquel Yumi Shida
Executive producer: Mariya Lyubenova
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the international Hubble Space Telescope.
Launched on 24 April 1990, and deployed from the Space Shuttle Discovery cargo bay a day later (25 April 1990), the telescope has given us a new perspective on the Universe.
The joint NASA/ESA mission has shown us distant galaxies and spectacular nebulae. It has revealed supermassive black holes and planets in distant solar systems; and has proved that the Universe is not only expanding, the expansion is accelerating.
Hubble’s mission has also been eventful. When it was first launched, a defect in the mirror meant it sent back blurry images. Since then, five servicing missions have enabled the telescope to be improved and upgraded. Today, it is still going strong.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of the Namib Desert, considered the oldest desert on Earth, in this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
In these times of confinement, ESA astronaut support engineer Romain Charles shares nine tips on how to live in isolation – he spent 520 days locked in a mockup spacecraft and is a true expert on the subject.
Mars500 locked six ‘marsonauts’ in a simulated spaceship near Moscow, Russia for 520 days, the time it would take to fly to Mars and back plus 30 days spent exploring its surface. It was the first full-length, high-fidelity simulation of a human mission to our neighbouring planet. The crew went into lockdown on 3 June 2010, and they did not open the hatch until 17 months later on 4 November 2011.
Mars 500 was a success in that it proved that humans can survive the inevitable isolation that is needed for a mission to Mars and back. Psychologically, we can do it!
The crew had their ups and downs, but these were to be expected. In fact, scientists anticipated many more problems, but the crew did very well coping with the monotonous mission, with little variation in food and even a communication delay over 12 minutes one-way.
During their simulated mission, the crew lived in isolation without fresh food, sunlight or fresh air. The participants from Italy, Russia, China and France had no external cues such as the Sun going down at night to remind them when to sleep.
Their bodies are among the most researched in the world. Years of constant monitoring, prodding and taking blood allowed scientists examined how they reacted to the time in confinement with experiments focussing on their bodies, mental states and performance.
More on Mars 500: www.esa.int/Mars500
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
In summer 2018, ESA joined with the musician Vangelis and the family of scientist Prof. Stephen Hawking to beam a message marking his passing to the nearest black hole. On 22 April 2020, Earth Day, we’re transmitting this poignant message to all of planet Earth – as a message of hope, to say that, by working together, we can overcome this crisis and others facing humankind.
The message reads:
“I am very aware of the preciousness of time. Seize the moment. Act now.
“I have spent my life travelling across the Universe inside my mind. Through theoretical physics I have sought to answer some of the great questions but there are other challenges, other big questions which must be answered, and these will also need a new generation who are interested, engaged and with an understanding of science.
“How will we feed an ever-growing population, provide clean water, generate renewable energy, prevent and cure disease and slow down global climate change?
“I hope that science and technology will provide the answers to these questions, but it will take people, human beings with knowledge and understanding to implement the solution.
“One of the great revelations of the space age has been a perspective that has given humanity on ourselves. When we see the Earth from space we see ourselves as a whole; we see the unity and not the divisions. It is such a simple image, with a compelling message: one planet, one human race.
“We are here together, and we need to live together with tolerance and respect. We must become global citizens.
“I have been enormously privileged through my work to be able to contribute to our understanding of the Universe. But it would be an empty Universe indeed, if it were not for the people I love and who love me.
“We are all time travellers journeying together into the future. But let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit. Be brave, be determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano tested new functionality for the astronaut aid Cimon relating to mood detection and enjoyed a few favourite songs on the first weekend of February 2020, his last weekend in space for the Beyond mission on the International Space Station.
Short for Crew Interactive Mobile CompanioN, Cimon is a 3D-printed plastic sphere designed to test human-machine interaction in space. It was developed and built by Airbus in Friedrichshafen and Bremen, Germany, on behalf of German aerospace centre DLR and uses artificial intelligence software by IBM Watson. Ludwig Maximilians University Clinic in Munich (LMU) is in charge of the project’s scientific aspects. Cimon was first used by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst during his 2018 Horizons.
Cimon weighs around 5 kg on Earth and has a display screen at its centre. Its main aim is to support and increase astronaut efficiency by displaying and explaining information needed to carry out scientific experiments and repairs.
Other applications include mobile photography and videography and the ability to document experiments, search for objects and maintain an inventory. Cimon can also see, hear and understand what it observes and is equipped with an autonomous navigation system, allowing astronauts to issue voice commands like you would to virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri or Cortana on the ground.
Circling our planet at 28 800 km/h the International Space Station offers space for six astronauts to conduct experiments for researchers all over the world in weightlessness as well as test and demonstrate techniques needed to further explore our Solar System.
Europe’s laboratory Columbus was launched over 10 years ago and more than 200 experiments have been done inside. Columbus houses as many disciplines as possible in a small volume, from astrobiology to solar science through metallurgy and psychology. Countless papers have been published drawing conclusions from experiments performed in Columbus, and Cimon is another example of the research conducted in space.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Montevideo – the capital and largest city of Uruguay, in this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
With a simple Google Cardboard-style virtual reality (VR) viewer, you can experience how it feels to be a spacecraft hurtling past Earth. This 360-degree VR simulation of a flyby manoeuvre performed by ESA’s Mercury-bound BepiColombo spacecraft takes you on a trip past Earth at the distance of only 12 700 km, closer than the orbit of Europe’s navigational satellites Galileo.
The simulation displays the field of view of two of BepiColombo’s science instruments (MERTIS and PHEBUS) and two of its three MCAM selfie cameras during the gravity-assist flyby at Earth on 10 April 2020.
The simulation was created using the SPICE software developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and data generated by the European Space and Astronomy Centre (ESAC)in Spain.
BepiColombo, a joint mission of ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is on a seven-year cruise to Mercury, the smallest and innermost planet of the Solar System. Launched in October 2018, BepiColombo follows an intricate trajectory that involves nine gravity-assist flyby manoeuvres. In addition to the flyby at Earth, BepiColombo will perform two flybys at Venus and six at Mercury, its target planet. The manoeuvres slow down the spacecraft as it needs to constantly brake against the gravitational pull of the Sun in order to be able to enter the correct orbit around Mercury in 2025, ahead of commencing science operations in early 2026.
Credit: ESA SPICE Service/RHEA Group.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Take a tour of the Ariane 6 launch complex and its various facilities filmed on 1 March 2020 at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
The 8200 tonne 90 metre-high mobile gantry stands over the launch pad. Take a look at the bogies that moved it there. Inside stand two mock-ups of the P120C boosters flanked by work platforms that will enable engineers to access the launch vehicle.
Delve deep under the launch table structure to see engineers working on the launch support systems.
Outside, tour past the liquid hydrogen and oxygen stores and on up to the assembly building where a mock-up of the Ariane 6 core stage is waiting at the entrance. Close by are additional service facilities, and the pumping station that will provide the water to quell the exhaust from the motors at liftoff.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Finistère – a French department in the west of Brittany, in this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
During Luca’s Mission Beyond, we sent warm wishes to the astronaut on his birthday (27 September) onboard the ISS by gifting a virtual candle to blow out on an Astro Pi.
Astro Pi computers come with a set of sensors and gadgets that can be used to run great scientific experiments by means of computer coding. This set of sensors is called ‘Sense HAT’ (that stands for ‘Hardware Attached on Top’).
The Sense HAT add-on board was specially created for the Astro Pi competition. The board gives Astro Pi the ability to ‘sense’ and make many kinds of measurements, from temperature to movement, and to output information using a special display – the 8×8 LED matrix. The Astro Pis are also equipped with a joystick and buttons – just like a videogame console!
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
L’astronauta dell’ESA Samantha Cristoforetti ci mostra come usare la parte meno affascinante, ma di cui spesso si chiede, della vita sulla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale: il bagno.
Un ventola crea aspirazione per evitare cattivi odori e il galleggiamento dei rifiuti. I rifiuti solidi vengono immagazzinati e caricati sulle navette cargo che bruciano quando il veicolo spaziale lascia la Stazione Spaziale. L’urina dell’astronauta viene riciclata – in acqua potabile.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Like many people around the world, ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer is adjusting to a new normal. Find out how he is spending his time at home during the COVID-19 outbreak, along with a few tips on how to gain inspiration from isolation.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Our alien friend Paxi went to visit American astronaut Joe Acaba on board the International Space Station. Joe explains how the ISS recycles air and water.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Unitevi all’astronauta ESA Samantha Cristoforetti mentre ci mostra come si lavano gli astronauti a bordo della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
Dalla saponetta all’acqua e al tagliarsi le unghie, tutto è diverso nello spazio. Samantha ci mostra il suo modo di ‘fare la doccia’ che dipende da quanto tempo ha a disposizione.
Gli astronauti sulla Stazione Spaziale dedicano il maggior tempo possibile alla scienza. Durante la sua settimana lavorativa di 40 ore, Samantha ha eseguito molti esperimenti dell’Agenzia Spaziale Italiana ASI e dell’ESA, e partecipato ad ancora più esperimenti degli scienziati di tutto il mondo.
Samantha ha vissuto e lavorato a bordo della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale come membro dell’equipaggio di sei delle Spedizioni 42 e 43. Potete rivedere la sua missione Futura nelle pagine dedicate http://samanthacristoforetti.esa.int.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet gives us some advice on what to do during a period of social distancing like the one many of us have to endure during the COVID-19 outbreak.
* Turn CC on for English or French captions *
Credits: ESA/T. Pesquet
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
New data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite reveal the decline of air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide emissions, over Italy. This reduction is particularly visible in northern Italy which coincides with its nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The animation shows the fluctuation of nitrogen dioxide emissions across Europe from 1 January 2020 until 11 March 2020, using a 10-day moving average. These data are thanks to the Tropomi instrument on board the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite which maps a multitude of air pollutants around the globe.
Claus Zehner, ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission manager, comments, “The decline in nitrogen dioxide emissions over the Po Valley in northern Italy is particularly evident.
“Although there could be slight variations in the data due to cloud cover and changing weather, we are very confident that the reduction in emissions that we can see, coincides with the lockdown in Italy causing less traffic and industrial activities.”
Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, says, “Copernicus Sentinel-5P Tropomi is the most accurate instrument today that measures air pollution from space. These measurements, globally available thanks to the free and open data policy, provide crucial information for citizens and decision makers.”
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, with more than 125 000 current cases of the disease reported globally. In Italy, the number of coronavirus cases drastically soared making it the country with the largest number of cases outside of China.
In an attempt to reduce the spread of the disease, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a lockdown of the entire country – closing schools, restaurants, bars, museums and other venues across the country.
The Sentinel-5 Precursor – also known as Sentinel-5P – is the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere. The satellite carries the Tropomi instrument to map a multitude of trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and aerosols – all of which affect the air we breathe and therefore our health, and our climate.
Given the growing importance and need for the continuous monitoring of air quality, the upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 missions, as part of the EU’s Copernicus programme, will monitor key air quality trace gases and aerosols. These missions will provide information on air quality, stratospheric ozone and solar radiation, as well as climate monitoring.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2020), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Victoria Falls, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, which lies along the course of the Zambezi River, in this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Though it has been fifty years since humans first stepped on the Moon, we haven’t forgotten about Earth’s natural satellite. Several missions since Apollo have taught us so much about the Moon and have paved the way for humankind to return. ESA Moon scientist James Carpenter gives us an overview of these missions and future exploration of the Moon.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Apollo Mission proved humans can work on the lunar surface but the longest lunar spacewalk lasted a total of 22 hours. Could humans spend longer amounts of time on the Moon? How about live there, as they do on the International Space Station? Lunar technology expert Bérengère Houdou describes living on the Moon.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
We can 3D print just about anything these days, from tools and buildings to cells and even food. But that’s on Earth, where materials are readily available. What about in space or on the Moon? Could we 3D print a lunar base? ESA engineer Advenit Makaya walks us through the process.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission takes us over Houston, the most populous city in Texas and the fourth largest in the US, in this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
It’s common knowledge that the Moon is a cratered ball of rock. Stunning as it is in the night sky or in photographs taken from orbit the landscape is barren, grey, dusty and dark. Are there other things to be found than meets the eye? Moon scientist Alexandre Meurisse explains which resources can be found on the Moon.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
