Nothing beats a smooth sail 🌴
Back in January, the first 3 stages of the next Vega-C rocket arrived in French Guiana! #VV29
Manufactured in mainland Europe, the stages were transported by Canopée, the first custom-built transporter to use sails, reducing emissions and saving on fuel by up to 30%.
Banner for ESA Future Space Transportation Spring Session, happening on 9 March 2026 at 14:00. Livestream available on ESA Web TV two.
Today starts the Future Space Transportation Spring Session 2026 in Paris.
The event brings @esa.int, industry, investors and Member State delegates to review progress across Europe’s space transportation activities.
Tune in on #ESAWebTV2 to follow live from 14:00: watch.esa.int
Look who just arrived in French Guiana 👀
Next step: unload and transfer to Europe's Spaceport, to open the container and see Smile one last time before launch.
🧡🧡🧡
ooooops
It's the french version of the greek name! Read the full story here: www.esa.int/About_Us/50_...
When Ariane 6 takes flight, it carries forward this legacy: a tribute to a woman whose myth embodies clarity in complexity and strength through intelligence.
Just as Ariadne’s thread led the way to safety, Ariane 6 paves Europe’s path to a new era of autonomous access to space.
First Ariane 6 with four boosters liftoff from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, on 12 February 2026.
Happy International Women’s Day! 🧡
Europe’s Ariane launchers carry a name inspired by a female figure in Greek mythology: Ariadne, the brave heroine who used her wisdom and creativity to guide Theseus through the labyrinth.
Stacked! The Vega-C rocket that will launch @science.esa.int's aurora-watching Smile satellite is being built up at Europe's Spaceport.
Stage 1...2...3... and 4 are on the launch pad.
Full video of #Ariane6 timelapse launch campaign – first Ariane 6 with four boosters – taking 32 Amazon Leo satellites to space.
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
With the first Ariane 6 with four boosters, our fleet of rockets is complete 🚀
We will continue to work on upgrades to reduce costs, make our launch systems more robust and launch more often.
For example, the powerful P160C rocket motor will replace P120C on both Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets.
The Greta engine ready for test-firing on a new mobile test stand in Trauen, Germany.
How are new rocket engines made? 💥
Greta has a 30-cm high combustion chamber made by using layer-by-layer metal deposition.
This technique allows the manufacture of complex shapes, which would be difficult to achieve with conventional metallurgy.
Wow, it's like we're there.
I mean... Yeah, you got it right.
Every launch is special 🚀
Flight #V158 made history.
Ariane 5 reached speeds of 40 000 km/h for the first time taking Rosetta from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana into a heliocentric orbit.
We would love to! 🧡
But @bsky.app only allows for uploads under 100 MB and under 3 minutes, so we have a choice to make: either longer videos with poorer visual quality or shorter ones with slightly better 😊
What if spacecraft could be made of a material that heals itself? 🩹♻️
Project Cassandra is developing a carbon-fibre material with sensors to detect damage and a heating element, allowing spacecraft to autonomously repair initial stages of damage.
Details: www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...
Learn more about Vega-C as we get ready for #VV29 with this Vega-C infographic: www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
Start the week with a Smile 😊
In preparation for Vega-C flight #VV29 that will take Smile to orbit from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, we're building the rocket that will take her to space.
The P120C solid booster and the Zefiro-40 stage have already been transferred to the launch zone.
Aren't they a vibe? 💁♀️
Indeed 🧡
This is so special. Thanks for sharing 🧡
There are a lot of faces people working on #Ariane6.
This is Jörn, Head of Propulsion Test Facilities and Services.
He has been involved in space transportation for 30 years. Now, his job is to make sure that our propulsion test benches are ready to use at any time.
www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...
A shiny, golden spacecraft at the centre of the frame stretches out its two solar panels towards the top and bottom. The panels are not quite fully stretched, with two slight bends in each. In the background, we see Earth, with the horizon curving from left to right across the top third of the frame.
📣 Call for journalists: attend the Smile launch media event at Europe’s Spaceport!
Smile is a scientific collaboration between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Science. The mission will study how Earth responds to the solar wind.
Registration details 👉 www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre... 1/2
🔭 🧪 ☀️
Relive the inaugural launch by reading this celebratory article: www.esa.int/About_Us/50_...
We've got a long history of European launchers.
📽️ And we've got the footage to prove it.
This was Ariane 1, the first launcher of the Ariane family!
A whole vibe, isn't it? 🧡
Ariane 1 inaugural launch: 24 December 1979
Ariane 1 final launch: 22 February 1986
Don't know, but it looks cold.
