ESA Science & Technology - Science & Technology
Latest News
Latest News
XMM-Newton maps black hole surroundings
Material falling into a black hole casts X-rays out into space – and now, for the first time, ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory has used the reverberating echoes of this radiation to map the dynamic behaviour and surroundings of a black hole itself.
Building blocks of life spotted on Rosetta's comet hint at composition of its birthplace
Observations from ESA's Rosetta spacecraft are shedding light on the mysterious make-up of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, revealing a mix of compounds thought to be essential precursors to life – including salts of ammonium and a particular type of hydrocarbons.
XMM-Newton discovers scorching gas in Milky Way's halo
ESA's XMM-Newton has discovered that gas lurking within the Milky Way's halo reaches far hotter temperatures than previously thought and has a different chemical make-up than predicted, challenging our understanding of our galactic home.
Mapping the cosmic journey of phosphorus with Rosetta and ALMA
Astronomers using the combined powers of ESA's Rosetta mission and the ground-based Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have traced the journey of phosphorus – one of life's building blocks – from star-forming regions to comets.
Huygens landing spin mystery solved
Fifteen years ago today, ESA's Huygens probe made history when it descended to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan and became the first probe to successfully land on another world in the outer Solar System. However, during its descent, the probe began spinning the wrong way – and recent tests now reveal why.
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Spacecraft Testing
#5: JUICE begins to take shape
The assembly of the flight model of ESA's JUICE spacecraft began in September, with the delivery of the spacecraft's primary structure, followed by integration of the propulsion system that will enable the mission to reach and study Jupiter and its moons.
#1: Euclid completes thermal-vacuum balance tests
This is the first entry in the Euclid Test Campaign Journal, a series of articles covering the main events during testing of the Structural and Thermal Model (STM) and Flight Model (FM) of the spacecraft.
#5: Electric and magnetic fields under control for Solar Orbiter
An important stage in the development of ESA's Solar Orbiter mission was completed between May and June, when a series of tests to validate the electromagnetic compatibility and magnetic properties was carried out on the spacecraft's flight model.
#17: Practice makes perfect for CHEOPS inflight operations
Latest Articles
Latest Articles
Cluster and XMM-Newton pave the way for SMILE
Shedding light on white dwarfs – the future of stars like our Sun
