Vega-C Delivers FLEX and Sentinel-3C to Orbit
On the night of 14–15 September, a Vega-C rocket lifted off from French Guiana carrying two European Earth observation satellites with compl…
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Reporting, analysis and dispatches signed by our newsroom. The fine machinery of international spaceflight, told for those who care about the details.
FLEX and Sentinel-3C Ready to Lift Off on Vega-C
With encapsulation complete at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, ESA's FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C are preparing for a joint Vega-C l…
Heat Records and Rocket Ranges: Europe's Spatial Infrastructure Under Climate Pressure
A relentless series of heatwaves has made summer 2026 one of Europe's most punishing on record. NASA's Earth observation data tells the stor…
ESA at ILA Berlin 2026: Mapping Europe's Space Ambitions
Under the banner of 'Space4Future', ESA's pavilion at ILA Berlin 2026 spans lunar exploration, climate observation, navigation and European …
SMILE lifts off to map Earth's magnetic shield in unprecedented detail
After more than a decade of joint development between ESA and China's CNSA, the SMILE spacecraft is now in orbit and ready to deliver the fi…
SMILE Launches to Map Earth's Magnetic Shield in Detail
On 19 May 2026, a Vega-C rocket carried ESA's SMILE spacecraft into orbit from French Guiana. The joint European-Chinese mission aims to ima…
Smile satellite launches to map Earth's magnetic shield in unprecedented detail
Lifting off on a Vega-C rocket from Kourou on 19 May 2026, the Smile spacecraft begins a multi-year investigation into space weather, geomag…