16°C
Porth, Newquay, Cornwall. UK
Updated10/07/2026 02:00 
 




ESA - Top Multimedia News

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA Top Multimedia
ESA Top Multimedia

ESA Top Multimedia

July 9th, 2026 08:43:00 EDT -0400 The hidden flow
The hidden flow
July 7th, 2026 07:22:00 EDT -0400 First light from the Hellenic Fire System
First light from the Hellenic Fire System
July 6th, 2026 12:00:00 EDT -0400 Centaurus A (MIRI and NIRCam image)

This combined view of Centaurus A from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope pairs observations from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Webb’s infrared vision exposes a warped disk of gas and dust left behind by a collision with another galaxy billions of years ago.

What may first appear as a grainy glow is actually a dense field of millions of individually resolved stars. By distinguishing different generations of stars embedded throughout the dusty centre, Webb gives astronomers new clues to the galaxy’s history and the processes that continue to shape it.

[Image description: A diagonal image of the galaxy Centaurus A stretches from the upper left to the lower right against a deep black background filled with countless tiny orange, blue, and white points of light. The galaxy is brightest at its centre with a white glowing core. A broad band of golden-orange dust cuts across the middle of the galaxy, forming a distinctive parallelogram shape. The dust in this feature is richly textured, with mottled patches, bright knots, and intricate filaments throughout. Just above the centre, delicate peach-coloured ribbons trace an S-shaped structure. Rather than appearing smooth, the galaxy has a finely speckled texture created by millions of individually resolved stars, which fill the central regions and extend into the surrounding glow. The galaxy’s outer edges dissolve into diffuse, cloud-like plumes with feathery textures that stretch beyond the dust lane. Against the surrounding darkness, several bright foreground stars display Webb’s distinctive diffraction spikes.]

July 6th, 2026 04:00:00 EDT -0400 Quasars discovered by Euclid
Quasars discovered by Euclid
July 3rd, 2026 04:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth from Space: Grand Canyon, US
The Grand Canyon, a stunning natural feature in the landscape of Arizona, US, is featured in these two satellite views.
July 2nd, 2026 11:00:00 EDT -0400 3D-printed metal: unlocking crew autonomy

When it comes to the future of human exploration, 3D printers hold the key to crew autonomy in areas ranging from maintenance to medicine. Delivered by ESA in 2024, the first metal 3D printer in space has just produced its fifth sample, retrieved by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot during the εpsilon mission. 

Since the beginning of 2026, six cargo missions have left the International Space Station after delivering supplies. At just 400 km above Earth, the Station remains within easy reach for regular resupply, but as astronauts venture farther away from our home planet, the ability to produce replacement parts, tools, or even biological materials will become essential for sustainable space activities. 

The Metal 3D Printer is a technology demonstrator. The experience gained will help better understand the limitations of on-orbit metal printing and develop solutions suitable for both crew members and ground operators. It will also improve the quality of the printing process to achieve the best possible results. 

“3D printers are far from being simple gadgets and I’m delighted to have worked on this European technology demonstration preparing the future of human spaceflight. Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you to the CADMOS User Support Center teams who guided me throughout the process!” says ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot. 

Three printed samples have already made their way back to Earth for analysis at ESTEC, ESA’s technical heart,in the Netherlands. The quality and resistance of the samples were compared against reference prints manufactured on the ground using the same printer. 

Sophie was tasked with retrieving a fifth sample from the printer and preparing it for the next print activity, which will take place later this year. 

July 1st, 2026 09:45:00 EDT -0400 Mediterranean Sea breaks June surface heat record
This image shows the sea surface temperature anomaly detected in the Mediterranean Sea on 29 June 2026.
June 29th, 2026 09:00:00 EDT -0400 Sentinel-1 shows ground displacement after Venezuela earthquakes
The map is an interferogram derived from the comparison of Sentinel-1 data on two dates: on the 18 June before the earthquakes and on 25 June a day after.
June 26th, 2026 04:21:00 EDT -0400 Cave training lab
Cave training lab
June 26th, 2026 04:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth from Space: Desert cropland
These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images show agricultural development in the desert of southern Egypt, close to the border with Sudan.
June 25th, 2026 09:00:00 EDT -0400 Europe feels the heat beneath our feet
This image of land surface temperature was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission on Wednesday, 23 June.
June 24th, 2026 06:00:00 EDT -0400 Euclid’s view of our galaxy’s bulge (16:9 cutout)
Euclid’s view of our galaxy’s bulge (16:9 cutout)
June 24th, 2026 03:55:00 EDT -0400 The art of hadrons
The art of hadrons
June 22nd, 2026 10:34:00 EDT -0400 MTG captures Earth at June solstice
This image of Earth, with the day-night terminator line clearly visible, was captured by the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) mission
June 22nd, 2026 11:00:00 EDT -0400 Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (NIRSpec IFU)
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (NIRSpec IFU)