Now that’s a baa-rilliant view 🚀🐏 Up close with the launcher for #Artemis II - powered by our ‘Ewe-ropean’ Service Module. Shaun the Sheep is ready for liftoff!

🚀 Artemis II update: the launch teams have begun filling the rocket with its fuel. Stay tuned! 📸: NASA

Feeling a little sheepish 🐑🏗️ Shaun the Sheep sat in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building earlier today, where the Space Launch System, with Orion and its European Service Module on top, were stacked 🚀 Big rocket, big teamwork 🌍🤝

#WatchLive: the first launch opportunity for #Artemis II is on 1 April 23:24 BST/00:24 CEST 2 April. 📺 Live on #ESAwebTV from one hour before launch (22:24 BST/23:24 CEST) until the end of the broadcast at 23:56 BST/00:56 CEST 👉 watch.esa.int

👀 A look behind the scenes at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Our teams are setting up cameras to capture the #Artemis II launch 🚀 We're ready for liftoff! 📸: @esa.int-M. Cowan

Shaun the Sheep has arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and is at the press site, ready to cheer on his fellow astronauts for #Artemis II 🚀🐑 From Mossy Bottom in Europe to the United States - he wouldn’t miss this for the world!

From Houston to Holland, we've got our eyes on #Artemis 👀 European teams will support the mission around the clock ⏱️ www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

⏱️Under 48 hours to Artemis II A big moment for human exploration and for Europe’s role in returning to the Moon. At the ❤️ of Orion is the European Service Module: delivered by ESA and built by 10 Member States across Europe. The 🌑 is not a short term endeavour. Europe is in it for the long run.

✅ #Artemis II update: countdown has started for launch. Liftoff of the crewed lunar mission is scheduled for 1 April 23:24 BST/00:24 CEST 2 April. NASA reports currently 80% chance of favourable weather conditions (pics: NASA & ESA/S.Corvaja) See go.nasa.gov/4sL4j3x @exploration.esa.int

Shaun the Sheep on a train to catch a flight across the Atlantic ✈️ A few years ago, a certain European Service Module made that same journey… Where could Shaun be going? 🤔

Zoom zoom zoom, we're going to the Moon…🌕 …thanks to hardware made in Europe 🌍 Discover how the European Service Module's engines will power #Artemis II www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

We might be going to the Moon in just three days 🌕🚀 Our teams are setting up remote cameras 🎥 ahead of the Artemis II launch so we don’t miss a moment. Stay tuned for updates 👀 📸: @esa.int-M. Cowan

A bit of fun science with @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot! “Day 043, orbit 0680 – Sunday‑morning science with Sophie, episode 2: the T‑handle wrench, also known as the speeder handle 🔩.” #εpsilon

💡 Switch off your lights tonight at 20:30h for #EarthHour! 3 negative impacts of bright nights: ⬇️ Melatonin production 😵‍💫 Bats & insects disorientation 🌌 Fewer visible stars 🌍 Europe at night from space 👇 @esa.int @wwf.eu @esaearth.esa.int @citiesatnight.bsky.social

"Day 042, orbit 0655 – Watch us work on the @cnes.fr experiment Echofinder! (...) Up here, where space is limited (inside the Station, not outside 😉), there always a bit of work to install the experiment before carrying it out & to tidy things up afterwards", says esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot.

Members of @esa.int’s astronaut reserve are back at our Astronaut Centre 🇩🇪 for the final block of Astronaut Reserve Training, preparing them to support future European human spaceflight activities. Stay tuned for highlights from their training 🚀 🔗 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

Next week, the European Service Module could be on its way to the Moon. 🚀🌕 ▶️ Watch how Europe is powering NASA's #Artemis II mission. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq6h...

"Day 041, orbit 0639 – Technology and nature, two of my passions, in one shot.  Our beautiful planet Earth, the Canadarm2 and the sunglint on the ISS solar panels. What a view!", writes @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📷 NASA/ESA – S. Adenot

#ComingSoon: Artemis II next launch opportunities open from 1 April 23:24 BST/2 April 00:24 CEST, our European Service Module powering NASA’s Orion spacecraft around the Moon! Stay tuned. 🚀

"Day 040, orbit 0621 – Saturday night dinner party onboard the Int. Space Station! (...) It’s a tradition: every @esa.int astronaut works with a chef to create 'bonus food', a few special dishes reserved for exceptional occasions" explains esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot. 📷 NASA/ESA #εpsilon

From Europe to the Moon 🌍➡️🌕 @esa.int's European Service Module has travelled thousands of kilometres - now it's ready to power #Artemis II 🚀 🔗 blogs.esa.int/orion/2026/0...

esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot has conducted a 1st session with PhysioTool, an experiment developed by @cnes.fr to monitor how the human body and mind adapt to life in weightlessness, where the constant stimulation of gravity disappears. 🔗 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

"Day 038, orbit 0593 – Today is #WorldMetDay, a moment to highlight the crucial role the atmosphere plays in our lives (...) and to salute the scientists who analyse space-based & in situ data to help safeguard our future on this planet – the only one we have" writes ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot.

🛡️ Safety first for #Artemis 🚀 Meet Guillaume Schang, safety engineer for @esa.int's European Service Module His job? Thinking several steps ahead and asking the tough questions to keep the Orion spacecraft safe and reliable on its journey around the Moon and back home 🌙 blogs.esa.int/orion/2026/0...

"Day 037, orbit 0577 – Next best thing to going on a spacewalk? Supporting your friends as they go on a spacewalk!" writes ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot after supporting the USEVA-94 last week. www.esa.int/epsilon #εpsilon 📷 NASA/ESA

💧Where we're going, we need water. 🌚 Back to the Moon, @esa.int's European Service Module will carry 240 litres of potable water — enough to keep the four #ArtemisII astronauts alive for 20 days. 👨‍🚀 We provide 4 tanks for drinking, hydrating food and hygiene chores. #WorldWaterDay

🚀 #Artemis II rocket back at the launch pad. Orion and @esa.int's European Service Module are ready to carry astronauts around the Moon and back for the first time since 1972 🌙👩‍🚀. We're getting closer… stay tuned 👀 🔗 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 📸: NASA

"Day 035, orbit 0541 – Three cargo vehicles departing the Station in just three weeks… and since I recorded this video, we also waved goodbye to a Progress!" says ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on her social media accounts. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

🔴 #LiveNow: media briefing following the 345th ESA Council meeting. 📺 watch.esa.int/Two/

#HappyBirthday 🎉 also to ESA astronaut @astromatthias.esa.int 🇩🇪 (18 March), who spent 177 days on the International Space Station in 2021-22 during his six-month #CosmicKiss mission. www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @aseastronauts.bsky.social @dlr-de.bsky.social @de.esa.int

Since their arrival aboard the Station on 14 February, esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway have already carried out two sessions of #EchoFinder, an experiment developed by the French space agency @cnes.fr for the #εpsilon mission. 🔗 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

The 278th spacewalk dedicated to the Station’s assembly, maintenance and upgrades is taking place today. @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway are supporting this morning’s preparations, assisting the spacewalkers as they don their spacesuits and prepare to exit the ISS.

"Second pic is my very first picture from Dragon, with heart-shaped clouds, which I took as a message to spread good vibes. More pictures soon!" (pics: NASA/ESA-S.Adenot, NASA/ESA/SpaceX)

ESA astronaut @soph-astro.esa.int just sent pics: "Day 32, orbit 498 – the first picture I took from the Cupola, just like when you’re flying on a plane, clouds as far as the eye can see – the biggest difference is that we’re 390 km higher than a commercial jet!" @exploration.esa.int #εpsilon

🚀 10 years ago, our largest and most sophisticated martian explorer left Earth behind. To mark the launch anniversary, here are 5 remarkable things @esa.int's Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) was made for 🧵👇

☢️ Ion beams for astronaut safety and cancer therapy. ⚛️ For the first time in Europe, researchers are accelerating charged atoms up to around 90% the speed of light to recreate the full spectrum of cosmic radiation. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

#Artemis II update 🚀 ⏰ April launch opportunities in Central European Summer Time (CEST) 🗓️ 2 Apr — 00:24 🗓️ 3 Apr — 01:22 🗓️ 4 Apr — 02:00 🗓️ 5 Apr — 02:53 🗓️ 6 Apr — 03:40 🗓️ 7 Apr — 04:36 Set those alarms Europe ☕ Night owls 🦉 and very early birds 🐦, this one's for you 🌕

Jeanette has supported many @esa.int experiments during her time on the International Space Station, from 3D printing metal on orbit 🔩 to operating robots 🤖 and capturing lightning ⚡ 📸: ESA/NASA/J. Epps 🔗 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... blogs.esa.int/exploration/... www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

🧭 Which way to Mars for less space radiation, please? ☢️ Data from @esa.int's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter confirms that travelling during solar maximum is the safest time for a trip #ToMarsAndBack. 🤯 The radiation paradox: www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

In case you missed it: Inspiring message from ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on International Women's Day #IWD2026

👨‍🍳 Space mayonnaise for the win? Super-stable emulsions made on the International Space Station could one day make their way to your plate thanks to European research. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

🆕 Cast your mind back to May 2024... remember how a massive solar storm triggered northern lights across Europe? We can now reveal how this same solar storm affected Mars, thanks to clever teamwork from our two Mars orbiters. Find out more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪 ☀️

🚀 The ESA XR Conference is almost here! Join experts and innovators from the space community to explore the latest immersive technologies. 📅 17–18 March 2026 📍 European Astronaut Centre (EAC), Cologne, Germany ⏳ Register by 13 March. 👉 Register here: atpi.eventsair.com/cmspreview/e...

📢 #MarsDay is live! 🔴 Join our @esa.int experts online today for talks and live Q&A. Embark on a Mars adventure exploring our martian missions with a stopover at our LUNA facility on the way to the Moon 🌕 Book your space 👉 www.stem.org.uk/primary/enri... 🕙 UTC times

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot held her first in‑flight call with selected French media last week. How is she feeling? What has surprised her the most? What does her daily schedule look like? Discover her answers to these questions – and much more – at this link 👇 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... #εpsilon

🔥 A ring of fire in Antarctica ❄️ The crew at Concordia research station were among the lucky few on Earth to see last week's annular solar eclipse in full 🌒 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

Wrapping up a year in Antarctica ❄️ Read Nina Purvis' final entry on her time as @esa.int's medical doctor on white Mars: blogs.esa.int/concordia/20... 📸: ESA/IPEV/PNRA-J. Lacrampe

Microgravity workout! ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, currently on the International Space Station for the #εpsilon mission, exercises on the CEVIS bike just a few days after her launch on 13 February 2026. 🔗 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

🌌 A glimpse into the reality of Antarctic winter life in @esa.int medical doctor Nina Purvis' latest blog, where she found, within herself, an invincible summer ☀️ 🔗 blogs.esa.int/concordia/20... 📸: Sun halo at Concordia. ESA/IPEV/PNRA-C. Arrat

📅 15 years ago today, @esa.int's second Automated Transfer Vehicle Johannes Kepler lifted off to the International Space Station. 🚀 It was the heaviest payload launched by an Ariane 5 rocket at the time. 🚚 Together, Europe's five cargo vehicles delivered over 30 tonnes of supplies to the Station.