ESA

Astronomers have discovered the aftermath of a cosmic hit-and-run in our own neighborhood. While studying the closest star cluster to the Sun, ESA scientists realized it may have been disrupted by a huge lump of invisible mass, possibly dark matter.

ESA has unveiled a spherical robot that may one day be used to explore caves on the Moon. Called the Descent And Exploration in Deep Autonomy of Lunar Underground Structures (DAEDALUS) robot, the spelunking rover is propelled by its extendable arms.

ESA plans to use its upcoming Lunar Pathfinder mission to experiment with expanding sat nav coverage to the Moon. By tuning in to the Galileo and GPS satellite constellations, the goal is to provide more precise fixes for spacecraft in lunar orbit.

An environmental disaster may have been averted as images from ESA's Copernicus fleet of satellites show the giant iceberg A-68a turning away from South Georgia Island and starting to break up into smaller bergs.

In a development that could help slow the proliferation of space junk, the orbit of a communications satellite has for the first time been altered using solid iodine as a propellant.

The giant iceberg A-68A that is threatening the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic has split into three pieces and is thinning by one inch per day. If the bergs run aground they could cause considerable environmental damage.

The European Space Agency has selected Thales Alenia Space in the UK to lead a study for the planned mission to "ambush" a passing comet. Called Comet Interceptor, the mission represents a new strategy for investigating comets fresh from the Oort cloud.

ESA has published a colossal data release from the agency’s Gaia observatory, which is currently engaged in a mission to survey 1 billion stars orbiting in the Milky Way. The data has already shed light on the motion of our galaxy and solar system.

Scientists have condensed decades of footage taken of our Sun’s atmosphere into a 47-minute video showcasing solar activity on a grand scale. The video was released to mark the 25th anniversary of the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric observatory.

Phosphorus has been detected on a comet, thus completing the list of life-essential elements found on these cosmic snowballs. The discovery made in data from the Rosetta probe strengthens the idea that life’s ingredients were delivered to Earth by comets.

With the world continuing to warm and sea levels continuing to rise, NASA and the ESA are eyeing the next decade of climate change and its consequences, launching a new satellite to observe the ocean in greater detail from orbit.

ESA has given the go-ahead for its Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey (Ariel) mission to progress from the study phase to the implementation phase, with an industrial contractor to build the spacecraft to be chosen in mid-2021.