NASA's Europa Clipper probe conducted a key test of its powerful Reason radar during a flyby of Mars. The success of the test confirmed the readiness of the instrument to explore the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa and search for a hidden ocean of liquid water, a crucial step in the search for extraterrestrial life.
The new Third Generation Meteosat (MTG-S1) satellite has successfully reached geostationary orbit and has been handed over to Eumetsat for management. This advanced 'sonder' with the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission revolutionises atmospheric observation, enabling faster and more accurate forecasts of extreme weather events and air quality monitoring across Europe.
Engineers have completed a key platform for ESA's ALTIUS mission, a satellite that will use an innovative probing technique to monitor ozone layer recovery and other gases in the stratosphere. This step marks the transition to the pre-launch testing phase, and the mission is key to understanding the global climate.
The European Space Agency launches the Vigil mission at the unique Lagrange point 5. This space guard will provide crucial early warnings of solar storms, protecting our critical infrastructure such as satellites, power grids, and communications from the devastating effects of space weather.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 mission on the International Space Station is driving groundbreaking research. The crew will test the mass production of stem cells, develop alternatives to antibiotics using bacteriophages, and work on on-demand food production systems for future missions to Mars.
Research by the European Space Agency (ESA) on the impact of microgravity on the astronauts' bodies is revolutionizing medicine. By studying the accelerated loss of bone and muscle mass in space, key insights are gained for the treatment of osteoporosis and atrophy on Earth, turning space into a unique laboratory for human health.