Space News & Blog Articles

The 54th edition of the Paris Air Show, held from 19 to 25 June, just came to an end. The week-long show, one the oldest and largest aerospace events in the world, welcomed institutional and trade visitors on the first four days, while on the last three days it opened its doors to space and aviation enthusiasts, students and children with their families. With more than 20 000 people visiting the ESA/CNES pavilion in the last three public days, the Paris Air Show 2023 showcased the successes and ambitions of the European Space Agency for a record-breaking number of visitors to the ESA pavilion.

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In June 2023, representatives from ESA, the French space agency CNES, Ariane 6 and launch operator Arianespace met at ArianeGroup’s rocket factory in Les Mureaux, near Paris, to see how the all-new Ariane 6 is taking shape.  

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On Friday 23 June, Euclid was secured to the adaptor of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Engineers attached the satellite to the adaptor that will be placed on the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch Euclid into space. ESA’s new cosmological mission Euclid is getting ready for lift-off with a target launch date of 1 July 2023 from Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA).

An international team of scientists have used data collected by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to detect a molecule [1] known as the methyl cation (CH3+) for the first time, located in the protoplanetary disc surrounding a young star. They accomplished this feat with a cross-disciplinary expert analysis, including key input from laboratory spectroscopists. 

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On 22 June 2023 at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, engineers rolled back the mobile gantry protecting Ariane 6 on its launch pad. The exercise helped validate ground systems and prepare for a series of engine fire tests.

ESA Impact 2023 – Quarter 2

Euclid launch kit

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From Monday 19 to Sunday 25 June, at the ‘Space Pavilion’ of Paris Air Show 2023, ESA and CNES present ambitious new projects in space exploration, astronautics, Earth observation and security-related applications.

Week in images: 19-23 June 2023

ESA will be broadcasting live as the Euclid space telescope, which will explore the dark Universe, is targeted to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, at 11:11 local time / 15:11 UTC / 17:11 CEST on Saturday 1 July 2023. A back-up launch date of Sunday 2 July 2023 is foreseen.

Work to develop a reusable engine for European rockets is progressing, with full ignition of an early prototype of Prometheus. These images were taken on 22 June 2023 at ArianeGroup’s test facility in Vernon, France during a 12-second burn. 

After four intensive days of panels and sessions dedicated to professionals and trade visitors, starting today ESA/CNES pavilion will be helding a variety of events dedicated to students and general public. 

Image: The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan.

ESA’s new Ariane 6 launch system is being prepared for a round of engine fire tests – with removal of the mobile building that protects the rocket while it sits on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Image: W-band on the run

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By using concrete examples of the water and carbon cycles, the speakers in this session focus on the grand science questions and how we can turn them into answers and solutions most useful to decision-makers at the front line of the climate crisis. Earth is a highly dynamic system where the transport and exchanges of energy and matter are influenced by a multitude of processes and feedback mechanisms. Untangling these complex processes to better understand how Earth works as a system is a major challenge; a challenge that satellites, with their global view, are ideally positioned to tackle. While each mission gives us unique insights, it is by combining their data that makes scientific findings shine the brightest. This, in turn, puts European and international collaboration at the heart of Earth observation today.

Image: The Zero Debris Charter

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Watch the replay of the live session from Paris Air Show 2023 discussing the signature of a new European Zero Space Debris policy. ESA's aim is to totally stop the generation of debris in valuable orbits by 2030. This approach has been initiated by the Agency in response to the catastrophic degradation of the Low-Earth Orbit environment. Speakers will include ESA representatives -including its Director General- and leading industry players.

Photo highlights from day 4 of the Paris Air Show 2023. Main focus of the day is on Applications, Earth Observation and Space Safety. The 54th edition of the Paris Air Show opened its doors on Monday and will continue till the 25 June.

Image: Ambassador Andreas for WILD Nature Foundation

Watch Mercury appear from the shadows as the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft sped by the planet’s night side during its 19 June 2023 close flyby, and enjoy a special flyover of geologically rich terrain, along with a bonus 3D scene.