News archive

News archive

Ceres, the first asteroid (minor planet) to be discovered in the Solar System, has held the record as the largest known object of its kind for two centuries. However, recent observations at the European Southern Observatory with the worlds first operational virtual telescope, Astrovirtel, have determined that the newly discovered distant asteroid '2001 KX76' is significantly larger, with a diameter of 1200 km, possibly even 1400 km.
Published: 23 August 2001
As space engineers and scientists met last month for a final review of the Mars Express spacecraft design, the spacecraft itself was taking shape at the premises of Alenia, Torino, Italy. "Normally, we would have the critical design review (CDR) after tests of the spacecraft structural model (SM tests) have been completed. But because of the tight schedule for Mars Express, most of the review had to be completed early. We've done all the reviewing we can. A few items have to wait until after the SM tests," says Rudi Schmidt, Mars Express Project Manager.
Published: 10 August 2001
What do a comet, the Voyager mission, the Big Bang and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence have in common? Answer: Dr. Samuel Gulkis from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Principal Investigator for the Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO), has played a leading role in each of them.
Published: 10 August 2001
The vacuum of space is hardly a suitable habitat for birds, but someone tuning in to the signals detected by the Wide Band Data (WBD) experiment on ESA's Cluster spacecraft might be forgiven for thinking that this was not the case.
Published: 9 August 2001
The world's astronomers now have access to amazing details about the invisible ultraviolet light from the Sun, thanks to a new 'spectral atlas' prepared with the SUMER instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. It shows bright emissions at more than 1100 distinct wavelengths, more than 150 of which were not recorded or not identified before SOHO. The atlas is being presented today at an international meeting of astronomers, by Werner Curdt of Germany's Max-Planck-Institut f|r Aeronomie, the lead laboratory for the SUMER instrument.
Published: 31 July 2001
After being assembled by prime contractor Alenia Spazio, INTEGRAL has now been delivered to ESA's ESTEC facility in the Netherlands. Environmental and system tests are now to take place on the gamma-ray observatory in view of a launch in October 2002.
Published: 30 July 2001
Studying distant stars and their planets in different states of evolution is of great interest to astronomers and of immense importance for astronomy. XMM-Newton has added its contribution with an observation of a stellar system, L1551 IRS5. It has enabled ESAs X-ray observatory to detect for the first time the X-ray emission from its spectacular jets.
Published: 30 July 2001
Hubble observations have revealed huge waves sculpted in the Red Spider Nebula. This warm and windy planetary nebula harbours one of the hottest stars in the Universe and its powerful stellar winds generate waves 100 billion kilometres high intimidating for even the bravest space surfers.
Published: 24 July 2001
European Space Agency - The Space Science Advisory Committee hold its 98th meeting at ESTEC on 29th June 2001.
Published: 23 July 2001
A miniaturised experiment that will help to unveil the mysteries of a comet is the latest of the instruments that will fly on ESA's Rosetta Orbiter to be delivered to Italy. The ALICE ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer, which arrived at the Turin plant of Alenia Spazio earlier this week, has already been tested and integrated on the Rosetta spacecraft.
Published: 20 July 2001
Scientists, VIPs and members of the media gathered in Bristol, UK, yesterday to celebrate the first anniversary of ESA's Cluster mission to explore the magnetosphere.
Published: 17 July 2001
Space scientists around the world are today celebrating the first anniversary of the European Space Agency's revolutionary Cluster mission to explore near-Earth space and study the interaction between the Sun and Earth.
Published: 16 July 2001
ESA's four Cluster spacecraft continue to provide groundbreaking new information about the interaction between our nearest star - the Sun - and planet Earth.
Published: 13 July 2001
To survive the physical stresses associated with launch, a spacecraft and its payload must be solidly built and well tested. Each spacecraft built for an ESA science mission is unique and so must undergo its own 'baptism of fire' to prove that it can withstand the launch and reach its orbit in perfect shape ready to carry out its mission.
Published: 12 July 2001
On 16 July 2000, the first pair of Cluster satellites was launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. To mark the first anniversary of this unique mission to explore near-Earth space, the European Space Agency and the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council will participate in a special ceremony and press event at The Mansion House in Bristol.
Published: 11 July 2001
Summer migrations in Europe tend to be southwards. But one caravan, composed of some thirty lorries, has started off in the other direction, from Italy to the Netherlands: ESA's INTEGRAL spacecraft is moving house.
Published: 11 July 2001
On 16 July 2000, the first pair of Cluster satellites was launched from Baikonour in Kazakhstan. To mark the first anniversary of this unique mission to explore near-Earth space, the European Space Agency and the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council will participate in aspecial ceremony and press event at The Mansion House in Bristol.
Published: 10 July 2001
The Double Cluster NGC 1850 found in one of our neighbouring galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud, is an eye-catching object. It is a young globular-like star cluster - a type of object unknown in our own Milky Way galaxy. Moreover, NGC 1850 is surrounded by a pattern of filamentary nebulosity thought to have been created during supernova blasts.
Published: 10 July 2001
A new phase in ESA-China scientific collaboration was officially given the green light today at ESA Headquarters in Paris with an historic agreement between ESA and the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) to develop a joint project known as 'Double Star'.
Published: 9 July 2001
A new phase in ESA-China scientific collaboration was officially given the green light today at ESA Headquarters in Paris with an historic agreement between ESA and the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) to develop a joint project known as 'Double Star'.
Published: 9 July 2001
29-Mar-2024 09:27 UT

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