iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 15h

🛰️ A glimpse of Europe's future in low Earth orbit. Two new industrial studies are exploring a potential European-led orbital outpost, building on decades of expertise in human spaceflight 🧑‍🚀🚀 Learn more: www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @esa.int

esa.int

ESA investigates potential future European-led orbital outpost

As part of the preparation for the end of utilisation of the International Space Station (ISS), the European Space Agency (ESA) awarded a contract to two European industrial consortia to conduct preli...

1208

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 28/09/2026

Homecoming looks a little different when you're returning from space 🚀🏡 Back at @esa.int's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne 🇩🇪, readaptation, scientific investigations and mission debriefings help turn spaceflight experience into knowledge for future explorers. 🔗 esa.int/Science_Expl...

esa.int

How ESA astronauts return from space

When an astronaut from the European Space Agency (ESA) returns from space, the mission is far from over.

2264

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 28/09/2026

👣 One geology step closer to the Moon. #PANGAEA, @esa.int's astronaut field course, celebrates 10 years of making extraordinary places on Earth into classrooms for space exploration. www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

esa.int

One geology step closer to the Moon

As we prepare to return to the Moon, Europe’s leading geology training for astronauts PANGAEA celebrates its 10th anniversary turning extraordinary places on Earth into classrooms for space exploratio...

0165

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 27/09/2026

"Day 226 orbit 3501 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 16, part 2: How radiation affects systems and astronauts…" with @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot! 🎥 ESA/NASA #εpsilon

14111

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 26/09/2026

Do you know what a mafic rock is? 🪨

0345

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 25/09/2026

"Day 224 orbit 3472 — ESTEC, ESA’s technical heart, is located in Noordwijk, in the Netherlands, and sits just behind the sand dunes, with the North Sea beyond", says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 👋 @technology.esa.int 📸 ESA/NASA – S. Adenot Zoom in: www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

esa.int

Noordwijk, The Netherlands

0212

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 25/09/2026

🔴 This image gives us strong Mars vibes. Here's a crew of astronauts climbing to the top of a volcano in Lanzarote, Spain. They're hunting for geological evidence of water and volcanic activity, two key clues in the search for life beyond Earth. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

esa.int

Space explorers in the land of volcanoes

2386

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 24/09/2026

"Day 223, orbit 3456 — We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t play with your food”... To be honest, in microgravity, it’s hard to resist!" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🎥 ESA/NASA #εpsilon

16315

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 22/09/2026

"Day 221 orbit 3426 — What happens to our muscles when they no longer have to fight gravity? That’s one of the questions behind Myotones, an experiment looking at how our muscles adapt to life in space", says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... #εpsilon

esa.int

Myotones: Studying muscle adaptation to weightlessness

0216

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 22/09/2026

🚀 Today, European teams conduct the 500th simulation for @esa.int International Space Station operations. More than 260 flight controllers have been certified to date. This simulation helps prepare future flight controllers to support astronauts and science aboard the Space Station.

Participants during the 500th European simulation supporting International Space Station operations at ESA's European Astronaut Centre. Credits: ESA

2385

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 22/09/2026

👨‍🚀 Pablo Álvarez and the #PANGAEA effect. 👀 An engineer by training, the @esa.int astronaut is starting to see the world through geological eyes. blogs.esa.int/caves/2026/0...

ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez examines a rock sample in the Ries Crater area in search of clues about the meteorite impact that hit Germany around 15 million years ago.

0132

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 21/09/2026

Pika-pika…Cupola? ⚡🌍 Pikachu is enjoying one of the most spectacular views in space: our planet Earth. The plush is floating in the European-built Cupola, a favourite spot for astronauts aboard the International Space Station👩‍🚀.

0327

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 20/09/2026

Day 219 orbit 3391 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 16, part 1: Radiation, the “aurora factory”. 🎥 @esa.int / NASA

16013

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 19/09/2026

"Day 218 orbit 3379 — Successful EVAs often depend on finding the right working position. I'll never forget this moment from EVA-98: switching sides gave me the leverage I needed to free the failed SGANT antenna from its stowage position" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🎥 ESA/NASA #εpsilon

55812

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 19/09/2026

Week 2 of #PANGAEA geology training: 🪨 Moon rocks from Apollo missions 🗺️ Mapping the lunar surface ☄️ Finding traces of a cataclysmic asteroid impact around 15 million years ago 📸 Follow the journey in our gallery: www.flickr.com/photos/europ...

JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui (right) and ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez (leaft) are looking at a piece of the Moon collected during the Apollo missions on display at the RiesKrater Museum in Germany.

JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui during a lunar crater mapping exercise under the supervision of Katherine Joy, instructor of the ESA PANGAEA training campaign in 2026.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli uses a magnifying lens to examine the components of a rock sample from the Ries crater area in Germany.

1295

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 18/09/2026

"Day 217, orbit 3363 — For the European Heritage Days, Paris opens its doors... and so does @fr.esa.int! The French capital is celebrating its history, culture and iconic landmarks. Have fun spotting them in this photo!" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🔗 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

esa.int

Paris, France

0201

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 18/09/2026

Geology Moon joy, with astronauts on Earth 🌚 ESA's new #PANGAEA instructor Katherine Joy dreams of new lunar samples. She's the only European scientist on the geology team for Artemis IV, the next crewed mission to land on the Moon. blogs.esa.int/caves/2026/0... @manchester.ac.uk

ESA PANGAEA instructor Katherine Joy with astronaut Pablo Álvarez during rock recognition exercises in the Ries impact crater, Germany.

1274

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 17/09/2026

"Day 216, orbit 3348 — Food has always been a way to connect people. We often trade specialties – before long, everyone knows each other's favorites 😋 & saving a treat for a crewmate is one of the many small gestures that help build a strong crew", says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🎥 ESA/NASA

15211

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 16/09/2026

"Day 215, orbit 3333 — 200 days in space is definitely something we celebrate, with cake, of course!", shares @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📸 ESA/NASA #εpsilon

1356

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 15/09/2026

🌍➡️🚀 What comes after the International Space Station? In the latest episode of #ESAExplores, @esa.int astronaut Andreas Mogensen shares his perspective on Europe's future in orbit, from commercial space stations to the next chapter of human spaceflight. 🎧 Listen now: pod.link/1463873320

0385

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 14/09/2026

"Day 213, orbit 3302 — The South American desert never disappoints. These volcanoes & mountain peaks look magnificent from above... On a recent pass, travelling at 28,000 km/h, I snapped 1,400 pictures in only 6 min 😉" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📸 ESA/NASA – S. Adenot

13813

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 14/09/2026

🪨 Why do astronauts need to learn geology? 👨‍🚀 Pablo, Jasmin and Kimiya reply right from the Bletterbach canyon in Italy, in week one of @esa.int's PANGAEA training.

0266

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 13/09/2026

"Day 212 orbit 3282 — Sunday morning science, episode 15: Mass, inertia and energy! The more mass an object has, the more energy it takes to change its motion..." says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🎥 ESA/NASA

16920

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 12/09/2026

From crochet hook to launch pad 🧶🚀 For #InternationalCrochetDay, here’s a throwback to our Orion plush visiting NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ahead of Artemis II. The real spacecraft flew four astronauts around the Moon, powered by @esa.int’s European Service Module. 📸: ESA-M. Deschamps

3557

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 12/09/2026

🌚🔴 Moon or Mars... Can you guess who's holding a Moon rock? 👨‍🚀 Astronauts get hands-on with meteorites from other worlds during @esa.int's PANGAEA geology training. Left to right: Kimiya Yui (JAXA), Jasmin Moghbeli (NASA), Pablo Álvarez (ESA).

Astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli (NASA), Kimiya Yui (JAXA) and Pablo Álvarez (ESA) are thrilled to examine meteorite samples from the Moon and Mars in their hands during the PANGAEA geology training.

1256

Reposted by ESA Exploration

Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 11/09/2026

The International Space Summit marked an important step in shaping a common European vision for space exploration. #ParisSpaceSummit

33910

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 11/09/2026

🚢 Soon to be frozen in space and time, this alien-looking vessel is beginning its first mission. 🧊 For 8 months, a crew of 12 won't leave the drifting ice in the Arctic to study how how life adapts to isolation & extremes in a region very sensitive to climate change. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

esa.int

Arctic isolation for science

Tara Polar Station

513323

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 10/09/2026

🚀 Europe is taking a major step towards autonomous cargo transportation in low Earth orbit. @esa.int has signed a contract with The Exploration Company under ALADDIN for an initial Nyx demonstration mission to the International Space Station and future cargo services. 🔗 www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...

A photo of the International Space Station captured by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet in 2021. Credits: NASA/ESA–T. Pesquet

28217

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 10/09/2026

Smell, touch, observe 🖐️👃👀 Astronauts experience geology using their senses during @esa.int's PANGAEA training.

ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez smells a rock sample to look for traces of carbonaceous fragments.

After holding a sample of kaolinite, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli smiles as she shows the effect that this clay-like rock has had on her hands.

JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui observes a rock sample to assign it to the right stratigraphic column in the Bletterbach canyon area with the help of a PANGAEA instructor.

3524

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 10/09/2026

🇬🇷👨‍🚀 @esa.int will implement an astronaut mission to the International Space Station for Greece with Vast. ESA Project Astronaut Adrianos Golemis is planned to serve as mission specialist and would become the first Greek astronaut. The mission is planned for 2027. 🔗 www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...

ESA Project Astronaut Adrianos Golemis of Greece. Photo credit: ESA

2919

Reposted by ESA Exploration

Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 10/09/2026

Will we be passengers or pilots? Customers or service providers? Tenants or architects? At the International Space Summit, I argued that Europe must take steps now to shape its own future in space. Read my full speech 🧑‍🚀🚀 esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/corpora... #ParisSpaceSummit

79621

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 08/09/2026

Even astronauts are going back to school 🎒 "Time to put on the hiking boots and get out the geologist’s hammer," says @esa.int astronaut Pablo Álvarez 🥾 Our PANGAEA geology training has kicked off at the Bletterbach canyon in the Italian Dolomites ⛰️🇮🇹

ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez discusses the characteristics of a rock with an ESA PANGAEA instructor at the Bletterbach canyon in the Italian Dolomites during the 2026 course.

2306

Reposted by ESA Exploration

European Space Agency @esa.int · 07/09/2026

World leaders, ministers, astronauts and industry representatives will gather in Paris this week for the International Space Summit. Read more: esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/Europe_s_space_future_in_focus_at_the_International_Space_Summit #ParisSpaceSummit

esa.int

Europe's space future in focus at the International Space Summit

The International Space Summit, taking place in Paris, France, on 9 and 10 September, will bring together world leaders, ministers, industry representatives and astronauts at a pivotal moment for the ...

312923

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 06/09/2026

"Day 205, orbit 3174 — now that the EVA season is behind us, let’s come back to Sunday morning science with Sophie! Today, episode 14, part 3: the science of nutrition! Keeping astronauts healthy, strong, and mission-ready…" 🎥 ESA/NASA

18119

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 05/09/2026

"Day 204 orbit 3163 — Job with a view (and what a view!) 💙" writes @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot... 🎥 ESA/NASA #εpsilon

211124

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 04/09/2026

"Day 203, orbit 3146 – Hanging upside down (from your point of view!), eyes closed, with a guided relaxation session playing in my ears... 😌" writes @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. More information about the RelaxPro study conducted aboard the Station 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

esa.int

RelaxPro: Helping astronauts sleep and manage stress in space

Astronauts on the International Space Station work in an out-of-this-world environment that is extremely demanding on both body and mind. Disrupted schedules, isolation, workload, physiological change...

2286

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 03/09/2026

"Day 202 orbit 3131 — And that's three!" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. #εpsilon www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

esa.int

Third EVA highlights

1223

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 03/09/2026

▶️ Separation for Mars, in slow motion. 🔴 European engineers are recreating the moment the #ExoMars lander breaks away from its backshell as it travels at 125km/h, less than 1km above the martian surface. 🎦 @esa.int/@thalesaleniaspace.bsky.social/Airbus/Sener www.youtube.com/watch?v=d62Y...

youtube.com

Separation for Mars

YouTube video by ESA Extras

13710

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 02/09/2026

ICYMI: ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir successfully completed US EVA-99 at 21:29 CEST on Tuesday 1 September. It was Sophie’s third spacewalk in just 15 days! 🔗 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

esa.int

Third spacewalk completed for Sophie Adenot

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir successfully completed US EVA-99 at 21:29 CEST on Tuesday 1 September. It was Sophie’s third spacewalk, and the 33rd conducted by a European...

1331

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 02/09/2026

Yesterday @esa.int and ispace-EUROPE celebrated a key milestone for MAGPIE, set to become Europe's first rover on the Moon 🌕 Launching in 2029, the rover will investigate lunar resources which could support a sustained human presence on the Moon 💧👨‍🚀. www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

esa.int

ESA’s first lunar rover rolls forward

Today, during a signing ceremony at the Space for Inspiration event in Copenhagen, Denmark, the European Space Agency (ESA) and ispace-Europe celebrated the implementation of MAGPIE, set to be the fir...

211529

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir are all smiles after spending the day working outside of the International Space Station and successfully completing maintenance activities... Congratulations Sophie on your third EVA, we're all extremely proud of you! 👩‍🚀🇫🇷 #εpsilon

14211

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

👏 Spacewalk successfully wrapped after 6 hours and 49 minutes. 👩‍🚀 @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot has completed her third spacewalk, totaling 19 hours and 42 minutes working outside the International Space Station. #εpsilon

Picture of Sophie Adenot's second spacewalk.

15310

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

After the issues with shoulder tightness inside her spacesuit were sorted, Sophie slides herself back into the airlock. You can see her here upside down, with red stripes around her knees.

2428

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

Sophie Adenot getting closer to the airlock, sped up 4x.

1463

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

Approaching the six-hour mark, the astronauts are making their way back to the airlock. After Sophie reported some mobility challenges in the left shoulder of her spacesuit, teams on the ground have planned to have her go into the airlock first. Jessica will close the hatch behind them.

1242

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

Today's spacewalk also involved work on the Space Station's cosmic particle detector. Jessica Meir partially completed torquing bolts and insulation work on the radiator of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a cosmic-ray detector studying matter and the origin of the Universe.

View of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer installed outside the International Space Station, as seen by astronaut Anil Menon.

1348

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

After over 25 years in orbit, thermal and power systems on the International Space Station need maintenance. Sophie Adenot is working today to relocate and install several power and thermal jumpers, short cables that link up different sections of a system. ⚡️

1351

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

Over three hours into today's spacewalk, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir teases ground control for some background music. Teams at Houston delivered 🎶

1475

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

How far can life go? 👩‍🚀 Sophie Adenot is collecting samples from canisters like these, placed outside the International @Space_Station. 🧫 Scientists want to find out whether a spacecraft and its crew release microorganisms and, if so, how many and how far they might travel.

1375

ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 01/09/2026

✅ Retroreflector replaced! Sophie is heading back to pick up equipment for the next part: a microorganism experiment outside the Space Station. 🦠🔬 Jessica has also completed installation of the new HD camera and is heading back to the airlock to prepare for her next tasks. 🚀👩‍🚀👩‍🚀 #εpsilon @esa.int

1343