ESA Exploration
@exploration.esa.int
Sharing news on Europe's human and robotic exploration, from astronaut training to the next giant leap to the Moon and Mars.
A match made in cleanrooms 🫶 Last week engineers connected @esa.int's European Service Module with the crew module for NASA's Artemis III Orion spacecraft 🚀 Now attached they will stay linked until the final moments of the mission, before reentry in Earth's atmosphere 🔗 blogs.esa.int/orion/2026/0...
Day 173 orbit 2680 — Fire 🔥 is one of the biggest risks we face aboard the International Space Station so smoke detector maintenance is performed regularly to keep the crew safe. In this video I was servicing the Columbus smoke detector, making sure it remains in perfect condition. 🎥 @esa.int/NASA
Day 172, orbit 2665 — I am deeply moved to have been appointed a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic. I am profoundly grateful to all the people who have inspired me and believed in me throughout the years. 📸 @esa.int/NASA–S. Adenot
If you have five minutes to spare, and love food, check out this video we put together on ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot's bonus food. 🍽️ 🚀 from the first recipe ideas, to Anne-Sophie Pic's #Michelin-star restaurant, to space. Bon appétit! @exploration.esa.int @fr.esa.int @cnes.fr
The journey of Sophie Adenot's bonus food
YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA
youtu.be
Day 171 orbit 2649 — It always makes me happy to see hearts in nature: my brain knows it’s just a trick, a pareidolia, but my heart feels like Earth is sending me a message... 📷 Kyzylkum, Kazakhstan Credit: @esa.int/NASA– S. Adenot
Day 170, orbit 2633 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 14, part 1: the science of nutrition! Keeping astronauts healthy, strong, and mission-ready… 🎥 @esa.int/NASA
Day 169, orbit 2618 — Cozy evening time in my crew cabin — something I’m definitely going to miss when I’m back on Earth… A few emails, a pouch of herbal tea, a few yin yoga stretches and then off to sleep! 🎥 @esa.int/NASA
"Day 167 orbit 2587 — Movies sometimes make it look easy to put on a spacesuit and head outside. In reality, getting two astronauts and their spacesuits ready for the vastly hostile environment just beyond the Station takes a looooong time", says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🎥 ESA/NASA
Keeping astronauts healthy in space takes hard work and plenty of exercise 💪 On the International Space Station, @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot worked on ARED Kinematics, helping researchers understand how resistance exercise protects muscles and bones in microgravity. 🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
"Day 166, orbit 2772 — What a special moment! On July 25, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov handed over command of the International Space Station to my friend, and Crew-12 commander, Jessica Meir" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📷 NASA
"Day 165, orbit 2557 — GEARS (Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space) is another experiment making good use of the Life Sciences Glovebox, a sealed laboratory workspace where we can safely handle biological samples" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📹 ESA/NASA
"Day 164, orbit 2543. From space, Geneva appears as a meeting point between the blue waters of Lake Geneva and the surrounding mountains. CERN is visible from orbit with an 800 mm lens..." says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📸 ESA/NASA – S. Adenot
"Day 163, orbit 2523 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 13: Torque, force and distance! When where you apply a force can matter just as much as how much force you apply..." says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🎥 ESA/NASA
"Day 159, orbit 2466 — An astronaut's schedule is very diverse, and also includes housekeeping tasks to help take care of our orbital home – just like on Earth . One of mine recently? Replacing old shower curtains with new ones!" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📸 ESA/NASA
On long-duration missions far from Earth, where carrying large numbers of spare parts is impractical and resupply may be impossible, onboard manufacturing offers a promising solution across a wide range of applications, from maintenance to medicine. 🔗 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
3D-printed metal: unlocking crew autonomy
When it comes to the future of human exploration, 3D printing may hold the key to crew autonomy in areas ranging from maintenance to medicine. On long-duration missions far from Earth, where carr...
esa.int
Day 158, orbit 2449 — 😌 Bittersweet moment in Columbus on 17 July as the European Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) was decommissioned. Over 18 years of operations, FSL has facilitated groundbreaking research into fluid dynamics in the microgravity environment", says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot.
Cold and vacuum snap for the ExoMars ramps at –70°C. Engineers confirmed the ramps can open fully in Mars-like conditions. This deployment will be one of the mission's most nerve-racking moments for @esa's Rosalind Franklin rover after touchdown on Mars in 2030.
"Day 157, orbit 2435 — The Moon has forever inspired, comforted & sparked curiosity. As we prepare to return & build a sustainable presence on its surface, it is becoming the stepping stone for humanity's next adventures in space 🚀🌙", says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📸 ESA/NASA – S. Adenot
"It performed marvelously. You built an amazing Service Module." During their visit to ESTEC, we sat down with the the Artemis II crew to hear their perspective on humankind's return to the Moon and the international collaboration that made the mission possible.
🌙 Today we celebrate International Moon Day, when humankind first stepped on the Moon 57 years ago. 👨🚀 It is also a special day for @esa.int astronaut Luca Parmitano. 📸: NASA
"Day 156, orbit 2416 — Sunday morning science, episode 12: Smells in space, part 2! After last Sunday's themed tour of the ISS, it's time for the sciencey explanations! OK, the procedure isn't actually an official one... but if you know, you know 😉" by @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot 🎥 ESA/NASA
"Day 155, orbit 2403 — Les Bleus and all the teams taking part in the World Cup have given us plenty to cheer about over the past month. Congratulations to everyone! I didn't bring any blue-white-red face paint with me, so I had to get creative 😉" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot! 🎥 ESA/NASA
"Day 154, orbit 2388 — There are 4 crew quarters 💤 in Node 2, including mine, but did you know that there’s an additional one in Columbus? We gave it an upgrade, just in time to welcome Chris during the crew overlap period!" – @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot 📸 ESA/NASA
🚀 "The European Service Module flew like a dream." 🌙 The Artemis II crew recently visited the European teams behind the spacecraft that powered their journey one million km through deep space, around the Moon and safely back to Earth. 👨🚀 Thanks for the kind words, Victor Glover!
European Service Module team meets Artemis II crew
From left to right, NASA astronauts Chrstina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, with ESA's European Service Module team behind them at ESTEC.
esa.int
"Day 153, orbit 2372 — Considering the ongoing heatwave across Europe, many of you are probably getting used to the sound of fans at home. In microgravity, fans aren't just about comfort – they're essential. Find out why in this video!" says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 🎥 ESA / NASA
🌕 Could your technology help build on the Moon? @esa.int and the Luxembourg Space Agency's ESRIC have launched the third Space Resources Challenge, seeking innovative ways to turn lunar regolith into infrastructure for future lunar exploration. 🚀 Learn more and apply by 2 October 2026: src.esa.int
👩🚀 Dreaming of a career in space? Internships at @esa.int's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne 🇩🇪 are open in: 🌕 Lunar exploration 🤖 Artificial intelligence & extended reality ⚕️ Space medicine 🎥 Multimedia 🚀 Exploration technology 👉 Learn more and apply by 29 July: www.esa.int/About_Us/EAC...
Internship opportunities at ESA's Astronaut Centre
The European Astronaut Centre (EAC) is seeking interns to support activities in a range of fields related to human spaceflight.
esa.int
This month with Mars Express, we visit one of the most ancient parts of the Red Planet, surfing over shimmering waves in the enormous Kaiser Crater. Zoom in and explore the image in more detail 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪 #planetsci
Metallic waves on ancient Mars
The European Space Agency’s Mars Express has spotted a swathe of metallic-looking waves filling Mars’s large Kaiser Crater – an ancient and otherworldly dune field sculpted by wind.
esa.int
Yesterday, the Artemis II crew visited ESTEC to meet the teams behind Orion’s European Service Module, which powered their historic journey around the Moon and back. 🌕🚀 🔗 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
