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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

February 28th, 2025 03:42:00 EST -0500 Survey of Andromeda's satellite galaxies
Survey of Andromeda's satellite galaxies
February 28th, 2025 03:22:00 EST -0500 Lifting the veil
Lifting the veil
February 28th, 2025 04:00:00 EST -0500 Webb visits a star-forming spiral
Webb visits a star-forming spiral
February 28th, 2025 04:00:00 EST -0500 Earth from Space: Maha Kumbh Mela festival, India
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captured the Maha Kumbh Mela festival, the world’s largest human gathering, which took place in the city of Prayagraj in northern India.
February 27th, 2025 04:00:00 EST -0500 Metal made in space lands on Earth

The first metal 3D part ever created on orbit has landed on Earth. 

The sample was produced in ESA’s Metal 3D Printer on the International Space Station. Now, it’s on Earth for the first time, at ESA’s technical heart in the Netherlands (ESTEC). 

The printer, developed by Airbus and its partners, was installed in the Columbus module by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen during his Huginn mission in January 2024. In June, the facility succeeded in making its first print, a curvy line in the shape of an 'S’. In summer, the printer produced its first full sample, and then a second sample in December. 

This first sample will now be tested in the Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory at ESTEC and compared to samples printed on Earth to understand how microgravity affects the printing process. 

The second sample will be handed over to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). 

While astronauts have operated plastic 3D printers on the International Space Station before, this marks the first successful metal printing on orbit. As missions venture farther from Earth, in-space manufacturing will be crucial for self-sufficiency, allowing astronauts to manufacture essential parts, repair equipment and create tools on demand, without relying on costly resupply missions. 

February 24th, 2025 05:26:00 EST -0500 Star field image taken by Proba-3's ASPIICS coronagraph
Star field image taken by Proba-3's ASPIICS coronagraph
February 21st, 2025 04:44:00 EST -0500 A spiral hiding an impostor
A spiral hiding an impostor
February 21st, 2025 04:00:00 EST -0500 Earth from Space: Tokyo, Japan
This Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar image shows Tokyo and its metropolitan area, the largest urban agglomeration in the world.
February 20th, 2025 09:32:00 EST -0500 MTG-S and Sentinel-4 in the cleanroom at Bremen
MTG-S and Sentinel-4 in the cleanroom in Bremen, side view
February 17th, 2025 09:43:00 EST -0500 Sentinel-4: European air quality monitoring for Copernicus
Sentinel-4: European air quality monitoring for Copernicus
February 17th, 2025 04:51:00 EST -0500 The James Webb Space Telescope maps full picture of how Phoenix Galaxy Cluster forms stars
The James Webb Space Telescope maps full picture of how Phoenix Galaxy Cluster forms stars
February 17th, 2025 02:27:00 EST -0500 The pierogi challenge
The pierogi challenge
February 14th, 2025 04:00:00 EST -0500 Earth from Space: Heart of Mount St Helens
For Valentine’s Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission picks out a heart in the landscape north of Mount St Helens in the US state of Washington.
February 14th, 2025 04:22:00 EST -0500 Cosmic cloudscape
Cosmic cloudscape
February 12th, 2025 12:51:00 EST -0500 Pierogi space packaging
Pierogi space packaging