iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 22h

A galactic house of mirrors 🌌🪞 Webb has captured this spectacular view of the galaxy cluster MACS J0454.1-0300. Its gravity is warping & multiplying the images of background galaxies, which appear like they have stepped into a house of mirrors! Read more 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭 🧪

A massive galaxy cluster, made of many golden elliptical galaxies with the largest, brightest one in the centre. Heavily distorted orange galaxies appear all around the cluster, the largest concentrated in a large arc around the cluster's centre; these are images of very distant galaxies, created by gravitational lensing. A few galaxies are large and bluish-white in colour; bright, nearby stars are the same colour. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Furtak, S. Fujimoto

123867

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 28/09/2026

A successful Earth flyby improves Juice’s course to Jupiter Earlier today, Juice flew just 8640 km above the Indian Ocean and snapped these images with its onboard monitoring cameras. 1️⃣Africa, by Juice monitoring camera 2️⃣Madagascar, by Juice NavCam 3️⃣Moon, by Juice NavCam 🔭 🧪 #planetsci

Mostly black space, most of Earth visible at the top right of the image. Part of a spacecraft visible on the left.

Part of the island of Madagascar in black and white.

A crescent Moon, with about a quarter of the Moon showing. Many craters are visible.

734399

Reposted by ESA Space Science

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 25/09/2026

A small push for @esa.int & #JAXA #BepiColombo, a giant leap towards #Mercury! 🛰️➡️🌑 Without MTM, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter is preparing for orbit insertion. Yesterday's successful thruster burn tested the propulsion system & delivered a planned 11.4 m/s trajectory correction ✅ @science.esa.int

15814

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 27/09/2026

Want to join us as BepiColombo arrives at Mercury? You can! Submit a #WelcomeToMercury message for Bepi and Mio and stand a chance to win a trip to ESA in Darmstadt, Germany, in December of this year. Check the competition out here 👉 esa.int/WelcomeToMercury 🔭

Illustration showing BepiColombo cartoon characters Bepi and Mio waving. To the left of the characters, a text reads ‘Welcome BepiColombo to Mercury!’. On the lower part of the image, we see part of planet Mercury on the left, and the hashtag WelcomeToMercury on the right.

35013

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 25/09/2026

Earth and Venus may have started out as near twins, but today one is full of life and the other is a scorching greenhouse world 🌋 ESA's Envision launches in 2031 to find out why they turned out so differently. Discover more here 👉 esa.int/envision 🔭

An image of Earth and Venus on a black background, with the Envision spacecraft in the foreground. The left half of Venus shows what it looks like from space, enshrouded in a thick cloud cover (image by NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft), while the right half shows a map of the surface terrain as reconstructed from radar data recorded by NASA's Magellan mission.

15310

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 24/09/2026

🚨Competition alert 🚨 Craft a #WelcomeToMercury message for Bepi and Mio and stand a chance to win a trip to Germany and witness the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission arrive at Mercury! The message could be a drawing, song, poem or any other art form. Details 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪

Illustration showing cartoon characters Bepi and Mio waving in the centre. Bepi represents ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Mio is JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter. Together they are part of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission. On the right side of the image, we see the ESA logoon the top and part of planet Mercury on the bottom. On the left side of the characters and underneath them, a text reads ‘Welcome BepiColombo to Mercury! Get ready to celebrate BepiColombo’s arrival at Mercury. Craft a welcoming message as a drawing, song, poem or any other art form. The prize is a trip to ESA’s BepiColombo event in Germany. Enter at esa.int/WelcomeToMercury by 25 October 2026. Hashtag WelcomeToMercury’.

23512

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 21/09/2026

Juice is returning to Earth, again 🛰️ On 28 September the spacecraft will fly by Earth, coming within 8640 km of our planet. The closest approach will be over the Indian Ocean at 13:45 CEST (11:45 UTC) 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪 #planetsci

Illustration showing Earth seen from space, the Juice spacecraft and its trajectory during the flyby.

215831

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 18/09/2026

DYK? NewAthena and LISA will each be remarkable on their own, but together, they'll achieve further breakthroughs on topics such as: 🕳️ 🕳️ merging black holes 📏 the cosmic distance scale 〰️ the speed of gravity & more Discover more here 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭

esa.int

NewAthena factsheet

Overview of the NewAthena mission.

0407

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 18/09/2026

Spiralling out of sync 🫨 This new Hubble image features a galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, NGC 4698, which has been thrown out of sync at some time in its history. Read more 👉 Ehttps://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/09/A_galaxy_spinning_out_of_sync 🔭

A spiral galaxy viewed at an angle, with a bright central bulge and winding spiral arms. The arms form a ring around the galaxy, without appearing to reach its centre. Prominent red-brown dust lanes weave through the arms, which are also dotted with bright blue and reddish regions of star formation. The galaxy is set against a dark background scattered with stars and faint distant galaxies. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, the MAUVE-HST Team

18313

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 17/09/2026

Are you an early-career scientist? Don't miss the opportunity to join us for the postdoctoral #ESAResearchFellowship programme. Applications are open until 21 September 👉 www.cosmos.esa.int/web/space-scienc… 🔭 🧪 ☄️

Internal research fellow performing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

1348

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 16/09/2026

Summer in Europe may be coming to an end, but the Red Planet is still us giving raspberry ripple ice cream vibes in this latest image from #MarsExpress 🍦 Explore the image and find about more about this cliff of ice near Mars's south pole 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭🧪 #planetsci

A purple-pink-coloured patch of Mars, which is lighter on the left and darker on the right. A dark line runs from the top centre towards the bottom right, dividing the light and dark areas. At the centre of the image is a sharp light-coloured crater. Less sharp craters are scattered over the rest of the image. At the bottom left is a bright white-blue triangular patch, it looks icy. A small scale bar at the bottom right indicates that north is to the right, and that a line approximately one tenth of the image width is 50 km long.

17117

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 16/09/2026

📣 We're looking for the next fellows in Space Science! The 2026 deadline for the #ESAResearchFellowship in Space Science Programme is fast approaching. Apply until 21 September here 👉 jobs.esa.int/job/Villanue... Details 👉 www.cosmos.esa.int/web/space-sc... 🔭 🧪 ☄️

Person sitting in front of a computer, smiling.

0189

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 15/09/2026

Webb reveals one of its largest images to date! 😲 This starry view shows the nearby star-forming region IC 348. Here, astronomers searched for brown dwarfs, objects which are less massive than the smallest stars. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭🧪

A star-forming region. It is blanketed in thick clouds of gas and dust, millions of kilometres across, that form swirling patterns. Bright stars are scattered throughout the clouds, with the densest cluster situated in the centre of the scene. Each is crowned with six long points created by the optics of the telescope’s mirrors. In the upper right, a couple of hidden stars blast out long, glowing jets of material. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Luhman, C. Alves De Oliveira, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)

0523114

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 11/09/2026

🎙️ Final stop on Expedition Sound We ventured into deep space to talk gravity, galaxies, and the cosmic web with Valeria Pettorino, Euclid’s Project Scientist and Lorenzo Speri, research fellow in the LISA mission 🌌✨ Tune in to ep. 4️⃣ of ‘Expedition Sound’ 👉 shorturl.at/UGpUc 🔭🧪

Photo with Lorenzo:
‘Selfie during interview recording, Expedition Sound podcast host Zsofi Szalavari with research fellow Lorenzo Speri’

Photo with Valeria:
‘Selfie during interview recording, Expedition Sound podcast host Zsofi Szalavari with Euclid Project Scientist Valeria Pettorino’

0323

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 11/09/2026

DYK? Using its large field of view, Einstein Probe can monitor a huge part of the Universe at once. Its goal? Observe objects and phenomena shining in X-ray light such as black holes, neutron stars or supernovae. Discover more about this mission 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭

esa.int

Einstein Probe factsheet

Overview of the Einstein Probe mission.

0456

Reposted by ESA Space Science

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 Space Science @science.esa.int · 09/09/2026

A superbubble scene 🫧 The vast central void in this Hubble image was created by the glittering stars at its centre. Through their powerful stellar winds and explosive supernovae, these stars have expelled much of the gas from which they were born. Read more 👉 esahubble.org/images/potm2... 🔭 🧪

A dense field of stars fills the image, surrounded by wispy clouds of gas and dust. Pale blue and grey nebulosity forms an intricate web across the scene, with darker clouds of dust concentrated towards the lower right. Numerous bright stars appear in shades of blue, white and orange.

216636

Reposted by ESA Space Science

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

Last night we brought together astronauts, ministers, industry leaders and space enthusiasts to celebrate the imagination, innovation and cooperation that define Europe's journey in space. From Earth orbit to deep space, we were reminded that today's ambitions become tomorrow's achievements.

113121

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 09/09/2026

Eight years of space selfies in 4️⃣ minutes 📸 As the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission traveled toward its final destination around Mercury, three onboard monitoring cameras took images of the journey 👇 Which planets do you spot along the way? 👀 youtu.be/WJqWGdWERqk 🔭🧪 #planetsci

youtu.be

MTM's selfie footage of BepiColombo's eight-year journey

YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA

310330

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 08/09/2026

Observations from Hubble have revealed a huge decagon encircling Saturn’s south pole! This giant, evolving 10-sided atmospheric wave is remarkably similar to Saturn’s famous hexagon at its northern pole, but is also distinctly different. Read more 👉 esahubble.org/news/heic2612/ 🔭 🧪

Side-by-side comparison of two views of the gas giant Saturn, labeled “August 29, 2025” at the top left corner. At left is a straight-on view of Saturn, a globe with pale yellow horizontal bands at the equator and orange and pink at the mid-latitudes. Some bands towards the north and south pole have a light blue hue. There are prominent horizontal rings circling at the equator. At right, labeled “Saturn’s south pole,” the south-polar view of Saturn shows concentric bands in its atmosphere, mostly tan and orange, surrounding a dark central region that has a 10-sided outline. A small, dashed circle at the very center of the pole with an “X” inside denotes missing data.

327470

Reposted by ESA Space Science

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 Space Science @science.esa.int · 07/09/2026

Where did August go? 😲 It may have been summer, but space kept us busy. 🌘 From a magnificent total solar eclipse, to Mars 🔴 exploration and Webb's surprising discovery near our galaxy’s central black hole 🕳️, August was quite the month! 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKZV-koyxtg 🔭

youtube.com

What happened this month at the European Space Agency? (August 2026)

August was a busy month for ESA, between spectacular views, histori...

1309

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 07/09/2026

Media call: join a press briefing on BepiColombo held by the Europlanet Science Congress 2026 organisers on 9 September, at 12:45 CEST. ESA & JAXA representatives will give an update on the status of the spacecraft and look ahead at the next steps. Register here 👉 us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... 🔭

1379

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 07/09/2026

Mercury, here we come! 🛰️ 🌑 Eight years and nine planetary flybys later, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has parted ways with its Mercury Transfer Module – the first critical step in its Mercury Arrival Phase. Catch up on how it happened ICYMI 👉 www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup... 🔭 🧪 #planetsci 1/2

esa.int

BepiColombo begins Mercury arrival with MTM separation success

On 3 September 2026 at 15:49 CEST, the European Space Agency's BepiColombo Mission Control Team at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) received the signal they had been waiting for&n...

19224

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 03/09/2026

A happy goodbye is still a goodbye 🥹 Mission accomplished, MTM! 🫡 Thank you for the ride! Thanks to its solar-powered electric thrusters, MTM carried ESA's Bepi and JAXA's Mio to Mercury on the power equivalent of 250 ants! 🐜🐜🐜 🔭 🧪 #planetsci 1/3

113529

Reposted by ESA Space Science

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 03/09/2026

📶Preliminary #BepiColombo Doppler separation signal detected. Initial tracking data are consistent with the planned MTM separation sequence. Now awaiting acquisition of signal at 15:53 CEST for full confirmation. @esa.int #JAXA #Mercury

14512

Reposted by ESA Space Science

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 03/09/2026

⏳ The countdown is over. #BepiColombo's Mercury Transfer Module should have now separated from the spacecraft, a key step in the mission's journey towards orbiting #Mercury. 🛰️↔️🚀 Now expecting acquisition of signal confirming separation no earlier than 15:53 CEST. @esa.int #JAXA

08019

Reposted by ESA Space Science

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 03/09/2026

The #BepiColombo MTM separation sequence has now started on-board, taking care of all that is needed for separation to take place. 🛰️ We'll only see this on ground about 11 min later. ⏱️ Mission teams are closely tracking system status ahead of this key milestone. 📈 @esa.int #JAXA #Mercury

0418

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 03/09/2026

The moment has come 🥺 After nine billion km and 22 loops around the Sun, it's time to say goodbye.

0429

Reposted by ESA Space Science

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 03/09/2026

🟢 GO for MTM separation. The Mission Control Team has the green light to proceed with #BepiColombo's MTM separation. ✅ The spacecraft is configured, the team is ready, and the first milestone of #Mercury arrival is underway. 🛰️ @esa.int #JAXA

The BepiColombo flight control team assembled in the Main Control Room at ESOC

010523

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 03/09/2026

A last selfie, 3.3 million km from Mercury 📸 #BepiColombo's Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) has taken one last set of snapshots before it separates today from the science orbiters, ESA's Bepi and JAXA's Mio, which will continue their journey to Mercury. Farewell, robot friend 👋 🥹 🔭 🧪 #planetsci 1/2

View from the monitoring camera M-CAM 1 on ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which shows part of the extended solar array of the MTM on the right and a part of MTM itself on the left.

View from the monitoring camera M-CAM 2 on ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which captures parts of the medium-gain antenna and magnetometer boom on ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO).

View from the monitoring camera M-CAM 3 on ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which captures part of the high-gain antenna on ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and some of MPO's body.

410133

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 03/09/2026

This goodbye is for good 🥺 Today, the two #BepiColombo explorers, ESA's Bepi and JAXA's Mio, are bidding farewell to their robot friend, MTM, who has powered their journey thus far. Watch the separation operations live starting 13:45 CEST 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC7l... 🔭 🧪 #planetsci 1/2

113228

Reposted by ESA Space Science

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.

1454

Reposted by ESA Space Science

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 01/09/2026

🔥Samba’s reentry was recorded! There is fire streaking across the sky in this first image from the ROSIE plane campaign. Credit: ESA/ROSIE/University of Stuttgart (HEFDiG) Read more: www.esa.int/Space_Safety...

2408

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 31/08/2026

Missed our media briefing on BepiColombo? Watch the replay here 👇 and learn more details about the Mercury Transfer Module separation – the mission's first critical step towards arriving at its final destination, planet Mercury. 🔭 🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXXQ...

youtube.com

Media briefing: BepiColombo's separation of the Mercury Transfer Module

YouTube video by ESA Space Science Hub

14313

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 31/08/2026

Congratulations!! #NASARoman on a successful launch 🚀 “ESA is proud to have provided essential hardware,” says Carole Mundell @esa.int 's Director of Science. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2… 🔭🧪 #cosmology

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on board is seen transiting the Sun during launch from Launch Complex 39A, on Sunday 30 August 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US.

011316

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 28/08/2026

It's time for the final two acts in #Cluster 's farewell. Following the reentries of the mission's Salsa & Rumba spacecraft in 2024/2025, the last two spacecraft, Samba & Tango, are preparing for descent. Follow @operations.esa.int for day-by-day action. More info👇 www.esa.int/Space_Safety... 🔭🧪

esa.int

Observing Samba and Tango’s reentries

The final two of ESA's pioneering Cluster spacecraft, Samba and Tango, will end their journeys as they burn up in our atmosphere on 31 August and 1 September respectively. Their targeted reentries mar...

0267

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 27/08/2026

BepiColombo is almost arriving at Mercury... but first, 👋 MPO and Mio must say farewell to their 'trusty engine' MTM (Mercury Transfer Module) 📺Watch live with us on 3 September, 13:45 CEST 👉 www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

17128

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 27/08/2026

🎧 Ever wondered what a black hole collision would sound like? Find out in the fourth episode of our Expedition Sound podcast! 🎙️ Join us as we travel into deep space to explore the mysterious effects of gravity we can observe with our space missions 👉 shorturl.at/UGpUc 🔭🧪 #cosmology #extragalactic

26413

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 25/08/2026

T – 5️⃣ days to #NASARoman launch day Like ESA’s Euclid, Roman will study: ✔️dark matter ✔️dark energy & expansion of the Universe ✔️exoplanets Read more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Spa… 🔭🧪 #cosmology #exoplanets

Artist’s impression of the Roman Space Telescope depicting the spacecraft floating against a vivid purple background studded with distant galaxies.
CREDIT: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

26018

Reposted by ESA Space Science

European Space Agency @esa.int · 25/08/2026

A front-row seat to satellite reentry. 🛰️ ESA scientists will fly out on two airborne observation campaigns over the Pacific Ocean to capture the targeted reentries of our final Cluster satellites, Samba and Tango.

111626

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 25/08/2026

🗞️The latest edition of the ESA Science Newsletter is out! 👩‍🎓Apply: ESA Research Fellow or Archival Research Visitor 🌌Update on Euclid Data Release DR1 ✨Preview Gaia Data Release DR4 🔭Observe with XMM-Newton: AO-26 call now open Read & subscribe 👉 cosmos.esa.int/web/scinews 🔭 ☄️

0244

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 21/08/2026

🔎 Are you looking for space data? The ESAC Science Data Centre is the place to go to. Here, you gain access to science data from ESA missions such as Gaia, Euclid and Solar Orbiter. Check it out here 👉 www.cosmos.esa.int/web/esdc 🧪 🔭 ☄️

This image shows a star cluster set against a dark background. The further in towards the cluster’s centre, the higher the density of stars.

06512

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 20/08/2026

The faces behind the voices in episode 3 🎙️ We talked all things wobbling stars and distant worlds with Sarah Kane, PhD student at University of Cambridge and Maximilian Günther, project scientist of the Plato mission🪐🌟 Tune in to episode 3 of 'Expedition Sound' 👉 shorturl.at/qeDvQ 🔭 🧪 #milkyway

Selfie during interview recording, Expedition Sound podcast host Zsofi Szalavari with Plato project scientist Maximilian Günther

Screenshot from interview call, Expedition Sound podcast host Zsofi Szalavari with PhD student Sarah Kane

0332

Reposted by ESA Space Science

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 19/08/2026

☀️🛰️Solar Orbiter is at its 10th perihelion this week – it’s closest approach to the Sun at only 0.294 AU. That means 10 days of fast-paced operations: where ESOC teams turn the spacecraft according to scientists’ incoming requests for data – some stellar @esa.int operations! 💪 📹 ESA/ATG medialab

212634

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 19/08/2026

☕ Grab a coffee, sit back, relax, and enjoy a flight around Mars's Schiaparelli Crater (you might want to go full screen and volume on for this one!) Thanks to our #MarsExpress for this stunning view of the Red Planet. More info and full-length version 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭 🧪 #planetsci

417352

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 17/08/2026

Hubble & Gaia solve merger mystery from Milky Way's early years, shedding light on its encounter with a dwarf galaxy 11.8 billion years ago. 🔎 Read more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Spa… 🔭🧪 #milkyway

Artist’s impression of two galaxies in the midst of a collision against a dark, star-filled background. The collision takes up the middle third of the illustration. On the right, a larger galaxy is viewed at an angle from 11 o’clock to 4 o’clock, with a white-yellow core surrounded by mottled brown dust lanes and faint bluish spiral arms. To the left, a smaller, bright blue-white galaxy is stretched into a curved, hook-like shape as gravity distorts it.
CREDIT: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

211925