Ariane 6 is only possible through European coordination 🤝 Austria, an @esa.int member state since 1987, represents 0.4% of the total budget of Ariane 6, with a focus on precision engineering and high-quality materials. www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

Contract for a reuseable upper stage demonstration mission signed at IAC ✍️ @esa.int and Avio signed a contract for 24-months of development activities aiming at the in-flight demonstration of a reusable upper stage.

The views are unmatched ✨ This is an aerial view of Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana - our home to the ESA-developed rocket families of Ariane and Vega. 500 km north of the equator, rockets gain extra performance thanks to a ‘slingshot effect’ from the speed of Earth’s rotation. 🌎🚀

You're still in time to register for @esa.int’s Future Space Transportation Autumn Session. 📅 29 October 📍 Paris Member State delegations and the wider European space community will gather to discuss the future of Europe's space transportation sector. spacetransportation.esa.int/events/?slug...

Our vision for the future of space transportation. @esa.int is crafting a space transportation ecosystem, guiding the companies and engineers of today to develop and test the technologies required to meet future needs.

With ArianeGroup and the Swedish Space Corporation we showed our reusable rocket stage demonstrator #Themis on its launch pad at Esrange Space Center to representatives from the europarl.europa.eu Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the European Health and Digital Executive Agency

Standing on its own four legs🦿🦿🦿🦿 @esa.int's reusable rocket demonstrator Themis is standing tall. Themis will demonstrate rocket stage recovery and reuse technologies and the first model arrived at the Esrange Space Center launch pad in Sweden 🇸🇪 over the summer.

Lighter, faster, better, stronger 🚀 We are always working on self-improvement. Ariane 6 is no exception! We're working together with ArianeGroup and MT Aerospace to evaluate how we can switch Ariane 6's upper stage metallic tanks for carbon-fibre reinforced-plastic ones. www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

You may have noticed we have a tradition: signing good luck wishes to our missions. ✍️ What would you write on our fairing for the next flight?

Guess what's under there 👀

We just celebrated 30 years of European satellite navigation 🎉 Europe has delivered the most advanced satellite navigation systems and services in the world. The next Galileo satellites are scheduled to be launched on our Ariane 6 rocket soon! 🤝 @navigation.esa.int

Do you want to be a part of the future of space transportation? This is your chance. 📣 Registrations are open for @esa.int's Future Space Transportation Autumn Session. 📆 29 October 2025 📍 Paris, France 🎫 Limited places available More information here: spacetransportation.esa.int/events/?slug...

Registration is now open for the @esa.int ESTEC Open Days 2025. Run and grab your tickets – they go fast! Come visit and chat with us on Sunday, 12 October 2025 from 10:00 to 17:00! 🤗 📍ESA ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA...

We have launched many missions, but the James Webb telescope never ceases to amaze us! 🔭✨

🌈 What an unforgettable day at Leiden Canal Pride Parade 2025! 🌈 A huge thank you to everyone who came out to cheer, dance, and celebrate with us on the canals of Leiden. The energy, love, and joy were absolutely contagious! 🫶 Space for all ❤️ #canalprideleiden #prideleiden #pride

🚀 The ESA ESTEC Open Day is almost here! Over the years, thousands of curious minds have joined us to explore the future of space... and this year we're inviting them again! Registration opens in 4 days! 📅 Monday 8 September

What were you doing back in the summer of 2024? ☀ One of the (many) things we did was launch and track the first Ariane 6! Tracking rockets as they fly overhead allows mission control to collect information and analyse after liftoff.

Have you seen these tall structures on our launch pads? ⚡️ These are called lightning towers and they intercept lightning strikes steering them away from the rocket, spacecraft and sensitive equipment, preventing damage or fire. 📸 @cnes.fr - @esa.int; ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG

Why does the today feels like the beginning of a new year? If you feel the same way, join us, as we take things slow. How slow, you ask? As slow as we can 🦥 This video shows Vega-C's liftoff for flight #VV26 in slow motion. Vega-C took Biomass to its Sun-synchronous orbit ~666 km away from Earth.

We're in our orange era and this is our screensaver 🍊 Did you know Vega C is one of our swiftest rockets, lightweight and small it gets off the launch pad in no time? It reaches space in just 7 minutes! 🎨 Studio Dias

Five missions secured their flights with Avio and Isar Aerospace 🚀 www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

Whether you want to go far away or remain close by, we have a rocket for you. 🚀 Ariane 62 can launch 4.5 tonnes into GTO or 10.3 tonnes into LEO. 🚀 Ariane 64 will launch 11.5 tonnes into GTO and 21.6 tonnes into LEO. 🚀 Vega-C can launch 2.3 tonnes to a SSO, 3.3 tonnes to LEO and 2.5 tonnes to PO.

Enjoying your summer break from launches? 🚀 Let's rewind until July, when models of Space Rider’s reentry module were dropped from a helicopter from altitudes up to 2.5 km. The test campaign demonstrated that Space Rider will be able to land gently down to an accuracy of just 150 m.

As August slips away, we're recapping this year's launches so far: 🚀 6 March - Ariane 6, CSO-3 🚀 29 April - Vega-C, Biomass 🚀 25 July - Vega-C, CO3D and MicroCarb 🚀 13 August - Ariane 6, MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5A What other launches are you looking forward to this year?

Launchers take a long time to prepare, and every bolt counts! 🔩 From lab to launch, we've highlighted 9 technology readiness levels. Once a technology has reached level 6, much of the risk of to using a new technology in a space environment has been mitigated. Were you familiar with these?

✅ Registration is now open for #ESAOpenDays (11 October, Disability Access Day) at ESA ESTEC 👇 (note: General Public Day registration opens 8 Sept.)

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." ‒ Albus Dumbledore 🪄 #Ariane6 illuminated the night sky as it soared to space from the European spaceport in French Guiana. Flight VA264 took the very first MetOp-SG and Sentinel-5 to orbit.

Couldn't stay up for the launch tonight? Watch the highlights with us today! 🫰 This stunning picture shows the moment #Ariane6 left the ground at the European spaceport in French Guiana, on 13 August at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 local time). www.esa.int/Applications... 📸 ESA - S. Corvaja

🌎 Tonight, we ushered in a new era of weather and climate monitoring. EUMETSAT's MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission – successfully launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. 🔗 www.esa.int/Applications...

And we have liftoff! 🚀

What happens before 3, 2, 1, TOP? Well, one of the final tasks is to roll away the mobile gantry to reveal #Ariane6 on the launchpad. ✅ 📸 @esa.int - S. Corvaja

🤝There they stand. 📷First views of #Ariane6 on the launch pad. 🚀 Flight #VA264 will take Metop-SG-A1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5 to orbit ✅Launch readiness review: GO ☁️Weather looks good 📅Liftoff 13 August 02:37 CEST 🔴Watch live: www.esa.int/Applications...

Ever wondered what parts make up the #Ariane6 launch pad? Wonder no more. Here they are, not from A to Z, but from 1 to 8! The ELA4 launch pad plays supports Ariane 6’s launches from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. High-resolution image available here: www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

📺 Watch live on 13 August at 01:37 BST/02:37 CEST as MetOp-SG-A1 and #Copernicus #Sentinel5A are launched on Ariane 6 flight #VA264 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana!

Guess who's safe and cozy inside its fairing? 🧸 That's right: we're on official countdown to launch day! Ariane 6 will take Metop-SG-A1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5A to orbit on 13 August at 01:37 BST, 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 local time). Will you stay awake for liftoff?

#MediaInvitation: journalists are invited to follow the MetOp-SG-A1 and #Copernicus Sentinel-5 launch live from ESA ESTEC in the Netherlands on 12/13 August 2025. Details and registration:👇 esa.int/Newsroom/Pre... @eumetsat.int @cnes.fr @dlr-de.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu @nl.esa.int

What's in a name? #OTD 1 August 1973, #ESRO Council meeting in Brussels discusses names for the new European launcher LIIIS to replace Europa. (spoiler, they eventually chose #Ariane!) @cnes.fr @transport.esa.int

Is throwback Monday a thing? 😅 Because we can't wait until Thursday to show you these pics from #VV27. Relive the highlights of the launch campaign here: www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

The vibes were ✨ immaculate ✨ This is what you see when you're at the Pim-Poum beach during a night time Vega-C launch. Liftoff from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana occurred at 23:03 local time on 25 July (03:03 BST/04:03 CEST on 26 July). #VV27

🗓️ Save the date(s)! Please join us at #ESAOpenDays this year: 12 Sept. - ESA ESOC, Darmstadt 🇩🇪 20 Sept. - ESA HQ, Paris 🇫🇷 26 Sept. - ESA ESRIN, Frascati 🇮🇹 4 Oct. - ESA ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada 🇪🇸 11-12 Oct. - ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk 🇳🇱 Stay tuned!

Ready to relive the highlights of our latest Vega-C launch? Here's how we built and launched Vega-C for #VV27. ASMR style so you can imagine you're really there 😉 🎥 Full video: esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2025/07/VV27_road_to_liftoff 🤝 @esa.int, ArianeGroup, @cnes.fr

🚀 Europe’s new CO2 monitoring mission, MicroCarb, launched on Vega-C last weekend, ready to map the world’s main sources and sinks of this greenhouse gas 🌏👉 www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup... @transport.esa.int @cnes.fr @eumetsat.int @ec.europa.eu @thalesaleniaspace.bsky.social @ukspaceagency.bsky.social

We cannot catch a break this summer 🥵 After a successful launch last week, we're getting ready for another one in two weeks! Ariane 6 will take Metop-SG-A1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5A to orbit on 13 August at 01:37 BST, 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 local time). #VA264

A perfect liftoff and smooth flight to orbit for Vega-C carrying five satellites to orbit. 🚀 Flight #VV27 liftoff occured at 23:03 local time 25 July 🛰️🛰️🛰️🛰️ CO3D will map our planet in 3D 🛰️MicroCarb will monitor carbon dioxide from space

It's launch night in French Guiana, Vega-C is ready for liftoff on flight #VV27. 🛰️5 Earth-observing satellites will be launched ⌚23:03 local time 25 July ⌚03:03 BST/04:03 CEST 26 July Here's how to follow the launch live, and what to watch out for: www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

Any plans for the weekend? 🕺 No, we're not talking about music festivals, beach trips or bachelorette parties... It's launch time! Liftoff for #VV27 scheduled for 26 July 03:03 BST, 04:03 CEST (25 July 11:03 Kourou time). Tune in to watch live: www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

Going up? ⬆️ #VV27 Vega-C is now complete and (almost) ready to take four CO3D satellites and the MicroCarb mission to space! Now we're onto the finals checks before we see Vega-C take the skies once again. Liftoff scheduled for 26 July 03:03 BST, 04:03 CEST (25 July 11:03 Kourou time).

Final countdown! 🚀 #VV27 Vega-C's fairing is now closed, encapsulating Airbus Defence and Space's CO3D satellites and the @cnes.fr's MicroCarb satellite. Up next: launcher integration and final verifications. Launch is scheduled for 26 July 03:03 BST, 04:03 CEST (25 July 11:03 Kourou time).

Free falling? Not so much! 🪂 After being dropped from 2.5 km above the ground, Space Rider's test model came down autonomously, relying solely on its on-board sensors and actuators. The model flew for 12 minutes with a vertical speed of 4 m/s, landing at 2 m/s, controlled by the parafoil system.

🎫 Apply for the flight ticket initiative and get your hardware flying in space to test new satellite technologies. If selected, @esa.int and @ec.europa.eu will co-fund a European launch service for you. The next cut-off date has been extended for 1 October: commercialisation.esa.int/opportunitie...