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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 15h

#OTD 29 September 1988, the Memorandum of Understanding on design and development of Space Station Freedom, forerunner of the ISS, was signed by NASA and ESA 🧪🚀 See www.nasa.gov/history/spac... and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_S... @exploration.esa.int @esa.int @eui-euarchives.bsky.social

In this photograph, NASA Deputy Administrator Dale Myers (seated left) and ESA Director General Reimar Lüst sign the Memorandum of Understanding for Space Station Freedom in Washington DC in September 1988

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#ThisWeek in 2003, Europe's first mission to the #Moon, SMART-1, was launched on 27 September, on #Ariane5 flight #V162. The spacecraft arrived in lunar orbit on 15 November 2004 🧪 🔭 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @transport.esa.int @science.esa.int @cnes.fr

White Ariane rocket lifts off into a black night sky.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#ThisWeek in 2023, ESA Andreas Mogensen became the commander of ISS Expedition 70 on 26 September, the first Dane and sixth European to do so. @esa.int @exploration.esa.int

esa.int

Andreas Mogensen becomes International Space Station commander

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Just catching up after working at @esa.int ESTEC’s #ESAopenday 2026. Here’s a look at the @spacerocksofficial.bsky.social ‘Museum of Space History’ exhibit, pics 1/2 with models of Cluster and Rosetta missions. Pics 3/4 astronauts Dan Tani and Andre Kuipers have fun at the Astronaut Signing area 🧪

Four blue and gold Cluster spacecraft models arranged in constellation

Scale models of Rosetta and Philae spacecraft on mockup comet surface

NASA astronaut Dan Tani (left) jokes with ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers with queue of visitors behind

Astronaut Andre Kuipers in blue flight suit with various patches

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Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Walking past the high bays at ESTEC. Last time I was here Rosetta was in the thermal vac chamber! It's been a while..

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

🚀 This weekend sees the #ESAOpenDays at ESA ESTEC in the Netherlands on 25/26 September! Are you going?😎 🚀 Here's a look back in time to one of ESA's first Open Days, on Sunday, 19 April 1970. www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... @spacerocksofficial.bsky.social @nl.esa.int

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

🇵🇹 Did you know? The first Portuguese satellite PoSAT-1 was launched among others on Ariane 4 V59 from Europe's Spaceport #OTD 26 September 1993🧪🛰️ @transport.esa.int @es.esa.int @cnes.fr en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PoSAT-1

Launch of Ariane 4 flight V59 from Europe's Spaceport on 26 September 1993, carrying SPOT-3, Stella, Kitsat-2, Posat-1, Healthsat-2, ITAMsat and Eyesat-1.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This incredible image of Saturn's moon Hyperion was taken by the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft when it performed a flyby #OTD 26 September 2005 🧪🔭(pic: NASA/JPL/SSI)

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

#OTD 26 September 2018, 100th launch of an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Ariane 5 VA243 delivered the Horizons-3e and Azerspace-2/Intelsat-38 telecom satellites into orbit. www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup... @cnes.fr @transport.esa.int @esa.int @esaconnectivity.esa.int

An Ariane 5 lifts off into black night sky on its milestone 100th launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on flight VA243.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#OTD 25 September 1997, Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-86 was launched with @cnes.fr astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien 🇫🇷 on board, flying to the #Mir space station. This was Jean-Loup's third and last spaceflight. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-86 @exploration.esa.int @fr.esa.int @aseastronauts.bsky.social

A picture of the lift-off of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The launch took place at night, the flames of the boosters light up the white smoke against the dark background of the night sky.

The 'joke' STS-86 crew portrait with a view of the Mir space station in the background. From right to left, Jean-Loup Chretien, Scott Parazynski, Dave Wolf, Mike Bloomfield, Jim Wetherbee, Vladimir Titov, Wendy Lawrence and Mike Foale.

French CNES mission specialist Jean-Loup Chretien in dark blue flight suit.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#OTD 24 September 1973, the signature of the Spacelab Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ESRO and NASA took place in Washington DC. esa.int/Science_Expl... @cnes.fr @dlr-en.bsky.social @dlr-de.bsky.social @eui-euarchives.bsky.social @ukspaceagency.bsky.social @esa.int @exploration.esa.int

Signature of the Spacelab Memorandum of Understanding between ESRO and NASA at the State Department, Washington DC, USA, on 24 September 1973. The Memorandum was signed by Alexander Hocker for ESRO and James Fletcher (NASA Administrator). Also present are Charles Hanin, chairman of ESC, Professor M. Levy, Chairman of ESRO Council and Roy Gibson, ESRO Director of Administration.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Esrange Space Center in Sweden is celebrating six decades of space operations, science and international collaboration. Owned and operated by SSC Space, the base has evolved from a European sounding rocket range into one of Europe’s most comprehensive space centres 🧪🔭

news.cision.com

Esrange celebrates 60 years: taking on growing role in Europe’s space ambitions

As Europe accelerates efforts to strengthen independent, resilient, and responsive space

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#OTD 6️⃣0️⃣years ago: 24 September 1966, the #Esrange rocket range at Kiruna in Sweden was inaugurated, ESRO's launch base for sounding rockets. Article for 50th anniversary: www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... Archive info: historicalarchives.esa.int/esro-soundin... @science.esa.int @transport.esa.int

Esrange inauguration, 24 September 1966, with ESRO Director General Alexander Hocker (first on the left at the front of the room).

Esrange facilities under construction at Kiruna, Sweden, 1966

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#OTD 10 years ago! 23 September 2016, legendary composer #Vangelis releases ‘Rosetta’, his first studio album in 15 years, inspired by @esa.int’s Rosetta mission to rendezvous and land on Comet 67P. www.udiscovermusic.com/new-releases... @science.esa.int @spacerocksofficial.bsky.social

Vangelis’s dark blue and black Rosetta album cover featuring the Comet 67P in the centre and the Rosetta spacecraft at right.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

#OTD 23 September 1846, Neptune was observed by German astronomer Johann G. Galle, confirming French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier's prediction of the planet's existence. Neptune had been observed many times in the past but not recognised. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discove... @science.esa.int

A picture of Neptune taken by NASA's Voyager 2 in August 1989. The colour image was composed of three frames, orange, green and blue, calibrated to best represent Neptune's true blue-grey colour and appearance.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#OTD 21 September 1973, the ESRO council approved a draft arrangement between ESRO and European governments for the execution of the future Ariane launcher programme 🚀 www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... @transport.esa.int #Space #History #SpaceHistory @cnes.fr

Artist impression of the original L3S design for the first European launcher project to be undertaken for the new ESA. Known in French as Lanceur à Trois Etages de Substitution (LIIIS) or L3S, it would eventually be renamed Ariane.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

#ThisWeek in 1848! Saturn's moon Hyperion was co-discovered independently by British astronomer William Lassell and US father and son astronomers William and George Bond, 16-19 September. This pic was taken by NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini (pic: NASA/JPL/SSI) 🧪🔭 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperio...

Approximately true-colour mosaic of images of Saturn's lumpy moon Hyperion, the moon is shown with shades of grey/brown and a highly cratered surface.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

😎 Can't wait to meet Doug! On STS-127 in 2009, Doug flew to the ISS to join ESA's Frank De Winne along with the rest of the resident crew of Expedition 20. On his SpX-DM2 mission in 2020, he helped install European equipment in ESA's Columbus laboratory!🧪🚀

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#OTD 18 September 1965, the first of four launches of Nike-Apache sounding rockets from Coronie, Surinam, for upper air wind research, in a joint project between NASA, CNES, the University of Utrecht and Dutch organisations KNMI and NWO. Subsequent launches took place on 21, 23 and 27 September 🧪🌍

Black and white photo of white/grey two-stage sounding rocket ready for launch on its support structure, with three safety-helmeted engineers at left.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

After the recent COSPAR 46th Scientific Assembly in Italy this year, #ESAarchives looks at over 60 years of ESA-COSPAR collaboration. COSPAR, the Committee on Space Research, was set up in October 1958 by the International Council for Scientific Unions. @science.esa.int #SpaceHistory #SpaceScience

Cover of ESA brochure for the 40th anniversary of COSPAR

Blue cover of an ESA Scientific Publication (SP) for ESA's Report to the 36th COSPAR Meeting in 2006.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#OTD: 17 September 1965, at the 16th International Astronautical Federation Congress in Athens, Prof. Leonid Sedov shakes hands with NASA's Gemini 5 commander Gordon Cooper while Voskhod 2 cosmonaut Pavel Belyayev talks to Gemini 5's pilot Charles Conrad (ANP)

Black and white photo captures a historic meeting and handshake between American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts at the 16th International Astronautical Congress in Athens, Greece

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#OTD 17 September 1789, Sir William Herschel discovered Saturn's 🪐 moon #Mimas, the seventh largest natural satellite of the gas giant planet (Pic: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute) 🧪🔭 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimas#D... @science.esa.int @herschelmuseum.bsky.social

In this picture taken by the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft on 13 February 2010 during its closest-ever flyby of Saturn's moon Mimas, the large Herschel Crater dominates Mimas and is clearly seen on the right side of the moon. The image looks toward the area between the region that leads on Mimas's orbit around Saturn and the region of the moon facing away from Saturn. North is up.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#OTD 17 September 2012, the polar-orbiting MetOp-B weather satellite was launched on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan 🌍🛰️ www.esa.int/Applications... @esaearth.esa.int @eumetsat.int @esa.int

The rocket carrying the MetOp-B satellite lifts off into the night sky. The flames from the boosters can be clearly seen as the vehicle leaves the ground.

MetOp-B's gold-insulation covered Payload Module being lowered into ESA ESTEC's Large Space Simulator in preparation for 17 days of thermal vacuum testing.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#OTD 16 September 1987, launch of Ariane 3 V19 from Europe's Spaceport carrying Eutelsat-1F4 (ECS-4). The Aussat-A3 telecoms satellite also shared the ride 🛰️ 🌍️ www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... @transport.esa.int @esa.int @esaconnectivity.esa.int

The image shows the night-time launch of an Ariane 3 rocket lifting off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#OTD: 15 September 2017, the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini mission concluded its remarkable exploration of the saturnian system in spectacular style, by plunging into the gas planet’s atmosphere 🧪🔭 (artist impression: NASA/JPL/Caltech) #Space #SpaceHistory #Astronomy @science.esa.int @esa.int

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

🫡😔 This is the last image from NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini, taken at 20:59 BST/21:59 CEST on 14 September 2017. It shows the planet's night side, lit by reflected light from the rings, where the spacecraft would enter the planet's atmosphere just hours later 🧪🔭 ciclops.org/view/8623/Im... @science.esa.int

This monochrome view is the last image taken by the imaging cameras on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. It looks toward the planet's night side, lit by reflected light from the rings, and shows the location at which the spacecraft would enter the planet's atmosphere hours later.

A natural colour version of Cassini's final image created using red, green and blue spectral filters.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

😮 One of the last images sent back from Saturn by the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft, this spectacular view of Enceladus setting behind Saturn was taken on 13 September 2017 🧪🔭 ciclops.org/view/8619/En... #Astronomy #Space #SpaceHistory @science.esa.int

The view is part of a movie sequence of images taken over a period of 40 minutes as the icy moon passed behind Saturn from the spacecraft's point of view. Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were assembled to create this natural colour view. Saturn's cloud tops appear pale yellow and there's a thin band of blue on the horizon. Enceladus is partially visible as a grey disc and brighter crescent.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#OTD 🔟 years ago: 14 September 2016, the first catalogue of more than one billion stars from ESA's Gaia satellite was published, the largest all-sky survey of celestial objects at that time 🧪🔭 esa.int/Science_Expl... #Astronomy #Space #SpaceHistory @esa.int @science.esa.int @astronomy.bsky.social

An all-sky view of stars in our galaxy – the Milky Way – and neighbouring galaxies, based on the first year of observations from ESA’s Gaia satellite, from July 2014 to September 2015. This map shows the density of stars observed by Gaia in each portion of the sky. Brighter regions indicate denser concentrations of stars, while darker regions correspond to patches of the sky where fewer stars are observed.

The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, with most of its stars residing in a disc about 100 000 light-years across and about 1000 light-years thick. This structure is visible in the sky as the Galactic Plane – the brightest portion of this image –which runs horizontally and is especially bright at the centre.

Darker regions across the Galactic Plane correspond to dense clouds of interstellar gas and dust that absorb starlight along the line of sight.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#OTD 13 September 2017, as it glanced around the Saturn system one final time, the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft captured this view of the planet's giant moon Titan. This is one of the last images Cassini sent back to Earth 😔🧪🔭 photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA2... @esa.int @science.esa.int

A view obtained by Cassini's narrow-angle camera on 13 September 2017, one of the last images Cassini sent back to Earth. A natural colour view, made from images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters, shows Titan much as Voyager saw it (a mostly featureless golden orb, swathed in a dense atmospheric haze), but this image is an enhanced-colour version adding another view taken using a spectral filter (centred at 938 nm) that can partially see through the haze.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#OTD 13 September 1977, launch of ESA's OTS-1 satellite on a US Thor Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral. This was the first launch in the Orbital Test Satellite series, ESA’s first telecommunications satellite programme. But events did not unfold smoothly... @esa.int @esaconnectivity.esa.int

Night launch of OTS-1 on a Thor Delta 3914 rocket from Cape Canaveral on 13 September 1977

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The Armchair Astronaut @armchairastronaut.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

🚀 A rare opportunity to meet Doug Hurley. Doug is joining us for a very special Space Social. Hear his story. Ask your own questions. Meet him in person. VIP Experience: just 9 tickets remaining. 🎟️ Tickets from £49 📅 Saturday 7th November 2026 | Cranfield, UK thearmchairastronaut.co.uk/doug-hurley

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Carolyn Porco @carolynporco.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Isn't this pic a stunner!? We at CICLOPS made a video of this flyby that blew everyone away. Check it out! ciclops.org/s3.amazonaws... Caption: ciclops.org/view/3803/Fl... Enjoy!! 🧪📰🛰️

ciclops.org

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#ThisWeek in 2007, the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft took this close-up of saturnian moon Iapetus on 10 September. This mountainous terrain reaches 10 km in height along the unique equatorial ridge of the moon 🧪🔭 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... @science.esa.int @carolynporco.bsky.social @esa.int

This stunning close-up shows mountainous terrain reaching about 10 km in height along the unique equatorial ridge of Iapetus. The view was acquired during Cassini's only close flyby of the two-toned Saturn moon.
Above the middle of the image can be seen a place where an impact has exposed the bright ice beneath the dark overlying material. Image scale is 23 m per pixel (pic: NASA/JPL/SSI)

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

ESA's Sophie Adenot set the record for accumulated spacewalk time for a European woman over three EVAs in just 15 days (total 19 hours and 42 minutes), sliding into fourth place in overall European spacewalks - just ahead of Philippe Perrin and behind Christer Fuglesang! www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#OTD 11 September 2015, Galileo satellites 9-10 were launched on Soyuz VS12 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. www.esa.int/Applications... @navigation.esa.int @transport.esa.int @cnes.fr

Liftoff of Soyuz VS12 from Europe's Spaceport, brightening a dark night sky with white and yellow glare from engines, casting orange glow on the exhaust plume.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#OTD 11 September 1985, the International Sun-Earth Explorer-3 (ISEE-3) passed through plasma tail of a comet (Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner), the first spacecraft to do so. ISEE-3 was renamed as the International Cometary Explorer (ICE). directory.eoportal.org/satellite-mi... @science.esa.int

Artist impression of ISEE-3 (ICE) approaching Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The spacecraft is a small blue cylinder with antennas and sensor booms, against a star-filled background with bright white comet at left
(Pic: NASA/JPL/CalTech)

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#OTD: 10 September 2014, this amazing image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken when ESA's Rosetta spacecraft was 27.8 km from the comet 🧪🔭 blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014... @science.esa.int @dlr-de.bsky.social @cnes.fr @esa.int #Space #History #SpaceHistory

Four black and white NAVCAM images form a mosaic of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, using images taken on 10 September when Rosetta was 27.8 km from the comet.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#OTD 10 September 1982, launch of Ariane 1 L5 with MARECS B and Sirio-2 satellites on board. Unfortunately, the flight failed 7 minutes after liftoff because of a failure of the third stage. The vehicle and payload were lost. #Space #History #SpaceHistory @transport.esa.int @esaconnectivity.esa.int

Liftoff of Ariane 1 L5 rocket into a dark night sky

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#OTD 8 September 1967, ESA’s (then ESRO) European Space Operations Centre was inaugurated in Darmstadt, Germany: ESA’s Mission Control, where missions come alive! 😎 www.esa.int/About_Us/ESOC @esa.int @operations.esa.int @dlr-de.bsky.social @de.esa.int

View of pale blue/green building at entrance to ESA’s ESOC campus.

(Pic: Christian Weickhmann CC BY-SA 3.0)

Black and white view of entrance signage for ESRO site, 1967.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

#OTD: 7 September 2014, @esa.int’s Rosetta mission lander ‘Philae’ snapped a ‘selfie’ at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from about 50 km. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... @science.esa.int @dlr-de.bsky.social @cnes.fr @dlr-spaceagency.bsky.social

Black and white image showing the side of the Rosetta spacecraft and one of its 14 m solar wings, with the comet in the background.

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ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 02/09/2026

🔥 Check out the first image of Tango’s reentry – @esa.int’s final Cluster spacecraft. But that’s not all – we caught Samba on video, too! 👉 www.esa.int/Space_Safety... 📸 ESA/ROSIE/University of Stuttgart (HEFDiG)

ESA’s Cluster Tango spacecraft re-enters Earth’s atmosphere against a dark blue sky, leaving multiple bright glowing streaks and fragments trailing behind it. The luminous trails extend diagonally across the image, illustrating the breakup of the object as it descends through the upper atmosphere.

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Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 06/09/2026

A historic night for European spaceflight. Huge congratulations to Daniel Metzler and the entire Isar aerospace team on reaching orbit with Spectrum 🚀 from continental Europe. www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

September's Object of the Month from the #ESAarchives stays with our recent run of 1980s nostalgia! Find out more about this ESA ESOC staff ID card and its fantastic late-80s branding 👇 historicalarchives.esa.int#oom @esa.int @operations.esa.int @de.esa.int

ESA ESOC Main Control Room, 1986 (pic: ESA)

Aerial view of ESA ESOC, Darmstadt, 1991 (pic: ESA)

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

#OTD 2️⃣0️⃣ years ago: 3 September 2006, ESA's pioneering SMART-1 spacecraft ended its 16-month mission with a lunar impact 🧪🔭 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @esa.int @science.esa.int #Space #History #SpaceHistory

The Moon seen from 600 km above the surface by ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft as it prepares for impact on 3 September 2006.

This mosaic of images, obtained by the Advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows the SMART-1 impact site on the Moon. AMIE obtained this sequence on 19 August 2006 from the relatively high distance of 1200 km from the surface (far from the SMART-1 perilune, or point of closer approach), with a ground resolution of about 120 m per pixel. The imaged area, located at mid-southern latitudes on the lunar near-side, belongs to the so-called 'Lake of Excellence'.

This image shows a 3D view of the SMART-1 impact location, as generated by USGS scientist Mark Rosiek. The blue star indicates the approximate impact site assuming that the coordinate system used to produce the reference Clementine Base Mosaic is correct. The yellow star indicates the approximate impact site using USGS's lunar control network revised with respect to the Clementine Base Mosaic.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

#OTD 3 September 2010, the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft took this view of #Saturn's A and B rings to see structure in the Cassini Division🧪🔭 photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA1... @science.esa.int #Space #History #SpaceHistory

Black and white image of the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings, occupying the middle and left of the image, contains five dim bands of ring material, but not all of the division is shown in this image. The B ring is on the right of the image. The Huygens Gap is the widest black swath near the middle of the image.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

#OTD 3 September 1995, launch of Soyuz TM-22 with German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter 🇩🇪 on his first spaceflight, the record-breaking 179-day #EuroMir95 mission🧪🚀 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @de.esa.int @exploration.esa.int @dlr-spaceagency.bsky.social @dlr-de.bsky.social @dlr-en.bsky.social

Launch of Soyuz TM-22 with clear blue skies in September 1995

Crew of Soyuz TM-22/#EuroMir95 in Sokol spacesuits with ESA and national flags, from left, commander Yuri Gidzenko, flight engineers ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter and cosmonaut Sergei Avdeyev.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#OTD 🔟 years ago: 2 September 2016, Rosetta's lander Philae was found on the surface of Comet 67P. The OSIRIS narrow-angle camera took these images as the orbiter came within 2.7 km of the surface, clearly showing the main body of the lander and two of its three legs 🧪🔭 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

Rosetta’s lander Philae has been identified in OSIRIS narrow-angle camera images taken on 2 September 2016 from a distance of 2.7 km. The image scale is about 5 cm/pixel.

Philae’s 1 m-wide body and two of its three legs can be seen extended from the body. The images also provide proof of Philae’s orientation.

A Rosetta Navigation Camera image taken on 16 April 2015 is shown at top right for context, with the approximate location of Philae on the small lobe of Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko marked.

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#OTD: 2 September 1997, launch of Meteosat-7 on Ariane 4 V99 from Europe's Spaceport, last of the Meteosat First Generation series of satellites and the longest-serving satellite in @eumetsat.int's history, 17 years monitoring the weather from space. @cnes.fr @transport.esa.int @esaearth.esa.int

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European Space History @eurospacehistory.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#OTD 2 September 2015, launch of Danish ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen 🇩🇰 on his #iriss mission to the International Space Station, becoming the first Dane in space🧪🚀 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @exploration.esa.int @danishmfa.bsky.social

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen greeting an audience at the launch pad in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on 2 September 2015.

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