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Week in images: 19-23 October 2026 Week in images: 19-23 October 2026 Discover our week through the lens

Earth from Space: The pink city Image: This image shows a detailed view of the city of Toulouse in southwest France, with its terracotta tiled rooftops lending it the nickname la ville rose, or the pink city.

350th ESA Council: Media information session Video: 01:45:34 Watch the replay of the media information session where ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and ESA Council Chair at delegate level Juan Carlos Cortés outline the key decisions and main outcomes of the 350th Council meeting held at ESA Headquarters in Paris on 21—22 October 2026.

ESA Council approves appointment of two new directors The European Space Agency Council has approved the appointment of two new directors: Andrzej Banasiak as Director of Commercialisation and Industry Partnership, and Nicolaus Hanowski as Director of Space Operations.

ESA Open Days 2026 Video: 00:00:49 ESA Open Days 2026 welcomed over 23 000 visitors across its six establishments, giving the public the opportunity to discover more about Europe's space activities, meet the people behind the missions and explore how ESA is shaping the future of space.

Stars brewing in a nebulous cauldron Image: Stars brewing in a nebulous cauldron

New brain for Galileo Twelve Galileo Second Generation (G2) satellites will join the current fleet in the coming years. They will deliver unprecedented positioning, navigation and timing capabilities thanks to an array of new features, including a new signal generation module, the 'brain' of the spacecraft. 

Euclid discovers new comet The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope has discovered its first previously unknown comet, in images taken between 16 and 24 September 2026.

Earth from Space: West Antarctica Image: This image over part of West Antarctica was captured by Copernicus Sentinel-3 on 30 September 2026.

Welcome home, Sophie Adenot Video: 00:02:54 After 237 days and over 3,700 orbits around Earth aboard the International Space Station, Sophie Adenot is back on Earth!Following a handover to Crew-13, Sophie and her Crew-12 crewmates undocked on 7 October and splashed down off the coast of California the next day.Now back in Europe, Sophie will begin her post-flight data collection and rehabilitation while readjusting to life on Earth after the longest mission in space by a European astronaut so far.Welcome home, Sophie!

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot returns from her first mission to the International Space Station ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot has arrived back in Europe, landing in Cologne, Germany, following her return to Earth with Crew-12 after 237 days, nearly eight months, aboard the International Space Station for her εpsilon mission.

Week in images: 05-09 October 2026 Week in images: 05-09 October 2026 Discover our week through the lens

Earth from Space: Namibia's biggest salt pan Image: This image from Copernicus Sentinel-2, acquired on 5 April 2026, shows the Etosha National Park in northern Namibia.

Splashdown confirmed for Sophie Adenot ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot returned to Earth with Crew-12 after her nearly eight-month εpsilon mission to the International Space Station, splashing down off the coast of California, USA, at 15:34 GMT/17:34 CEST on 8 October 2026. 

Sentinel-3C returns its first views of Earth Just two weeks after it was launched, the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite returned its first images and measurements from two of its key instruments – a major milestone that confirms the satellite is working well and on the road to monitoring the health of Earth's oceans, land, cryosphere and atmosphere.

Solar Orbiter tracks origin of mysterious magnetic switchbacks The European Space Agency-led Solar Orbiter spacecraft has flown through an S-shaped kink known as a 'switchback' in the solar wind's magnetic field. By fingerprinting the elusive particles within the switchback, Solar Orbiter has traced its origin back to the Sun's surface and revealed more about solar magnetism – the unruly instigator of dangerous solar storms.

Keeping the sky dark and quiet For thousands of years, the night sky has inspired humanity, guided explorers and helped scientists unlock the mysteries of the Universe. As the number of satellites in orbit grows, their reflected light and radio frequency interference become a challenge for both professional astronomy and simple stargazing.The European Space Agency (ESA) and the International Astronomical Union's Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky (IAU CPS) have signed an agreement at the International Astronautical Congress to strengthen cooperation and develop technical solutions to keep the sky dark and quiet.

ESA at IAC 2026 – Day 3 The future of European exploration and the decisions ahead took centre stage during ESA's third day at IAC 2026. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher joined representatives of ESA Member States to discuss Europe's ambitions in low Earth orbit, around the Moon and beyond. The day also saw ESA Director of Space Transportation Géraldine Naja receive the 2026 WIA-Europe Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of her contribution to the European space sector.

Mars's oddest cloud may be even odder than we thought Scientists using the European Space Agency's Mars Express, in combination with a state-of-the-art meteorological model of the Red Planet, have found that there may be some very exotic physics behind Mars's most curious cloud.

Brake! Time for ESA's Hera asteroid mission to go slow Launched two years ago today, the European Space Agency's Hera mission for planetary defence has been hurtling away from Earth ever since. The small-car-sized spacecraft is now preparing for its single most challenging activity since lift-off: the sustained braking manoeuvres to slow it down to approach its target asteroids.

The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission – The space detectives arrive Video: 00:04:19 Meet Hera, our very own asteroid detective. Together with two CubeSats – Milani the rock decoder and Juventas the radar visionary – Hera is off on an adventure to explore Didymos, a double asteroid system that is typical of the thousands that pose an impact risk to planet Earth.After their two year cosmic roadtrip, Hera and its little CubeSat companions have finally arrived at Didymos and Dimorphos – the very first Solar System object to have had its orbit shifted by human action.  Suitable for kids and adults alike, this episode of 'The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission' explains what ESA's asteroid detective and its CubeSat assistants will be up to once they arrive, and precisely how they are going to say goodbye to each other – letting the CubeSats begin their close-up exam of this historic space rock.Watch the other episodes of The Incredible Adventures of the Hera Mission

ESA at IAC 2026 – Day 2 International cooperation remained at the heart of ESA's participation in the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Antalya, Türkiye, as ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher held a series of high-level meetings with partners from around the world. The exchanges reflected ESA's commitment to strengthening existing partnerships while broadening cooperation with both established and emerging space actors.

Webb captures commotion from nebula's stellar jets Image: Webb captures commotion from nebula's stellar jets

European rover trains for Mars in the desert For eight days, a Mars rover prototype travelled 220 metres across a barren landscape, following commands from a science team some 1200 kilometres away.

ESA at IAC 2026 – Day 1 Stronger European capabilities and deeper international cooperation were at the heart of ESA's first day at the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Antalya, Türkiye. From exploration to the contribution of space to society, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher underlined the importance of Europe becoming a stronger and more capable partner in a rapidly changing space environment.

Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Discover our week through the lens

Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Discover our week through the lens

Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Discover our week through the lens

Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Discover our week through the lens

Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Week in images: 28 Sep - 2 Oct 2026 Discover our week through the lens