🌕 The journey back to the Moon.
🚀 Artemis I (2022): first uncrewed flight, proving the Orion spacecraft could go the distance
👨‍🚀 Artemis II (2026): first crewed Artemis mission, carrying four astronauts around the Moon and back for the first time in over 50 years.

@esa @NASAArtemis @AirbusSpace Without Europe, those journeys wouldn't have been possible.
@esa's European Service Module is the powerhouse of Orion providing:
🚀 propulsion through deep space
⚡ electricity through 4 solar arrays
💧 water
🌬️ breathable air
🌡️ temperature control

From microgravity 🛰️ to anti-gravity! Back at the European Astronaut Center, post-flight reconditioning included running on the anti-gravity treadmill, which, despite its name, does not actually eliminate gravity… 😁

The lower body is enclosed in an air-pressure chamber. By the treadmill reduces the load on the legs, muscles and joints, allowing you to walk or run while bearing less than your normal body weight.

That was fun, but I was so happy to be actually running outside a few days after! 🏃‍♀️‍➡️🌴

📸 @esa – M. Cowan

De la micropesanteur 🛰️ à l’antigravité ! Quand j’étais au Centre européen des astronautes pour la période post-vol, j’ai eu droit à des séances sur un tapis de course très spécial, appelé “antigravity treadmill”. Contrairement à ce que son nom laisse penser, il ne fait pas vraiment disparaître la gravité… 😁

Le bas du corps est placé dans une chambre pressurisée, et il suffit d’ajuster la pression pour réduire la charge sur les jambes, les muscles et les articulations, permettant ainsi de marcher ou de courir en ne supportant qu’une partie de son poids habituel.

Bon, c’était sympa, mais c’était encore + sympa de courir dehors quelques jours après ! 🏃‍♀️‍➡️🌲

#εpsilon • @esaspaceflight • @ESA_fr

Astronauts like @Soph_astro and submariners may have more in common than you think. 🧑‍🚀⚓

By studying both, Exposome Signature is helping scientists understand how our bodies respond to extreme environments, with benefits for health in space and on Earth.

🔗 esa.int/Science_Explor… #εpsilon

First European woman on the International Space Station 👩‍🚀✨

25 years ago, in October 2001, Claudie Haigneré spent eight days aboard the @Space_Station, conducting scientific research and helping write a new chapter in European spaceflight history.

@esa @ESA_fr

🌕🤝 One lunar lander, many European countries.
Argonaut brings together expertise from across the continent to create a new European capability for lunar exploration 🌍.

@esa @Thales_Alenia_S 🌕 Argonaut Mission 1 is already taking shape
🚀 Launch: 2030, Ariane 6
📍 Destination: the Moon's south polar region
🤖 Payloads: robotic mobility and dexterity demonstrators

@esa @Thales_Alenia_S Mission 1 is only the beginning.
🚀 From launch on a European rocket to landing on the Moon with a European lander, Argonaut represents our end-to-end access to the Moon and opens the door to our next great adventures beyond Earth🌙
🔗: esa.int/Science_Explor…

🕹️ Play a game, train a model, map the Moon.
Players of @esa's IMPACT game marked craters on real lunar images, creating data used to train an AI model that detected 3192 potential craters in this patch of the Moon measuring 1.25 x 1.27 km.
🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia…

This week we held the 350th ESA Council in Paris, an important step on the way to the Intermediate Ministerial Meeting (IMM) on Exploration to be held in December in Rome. We made good progress on the road to a more ambitous future for Europe. x.com/i/article/2113…

🌕⛵ Why is Europe's lunar lander called Argonaut?
Like Apollo and Artemis, the name is inspired by Greek mythology 🏛️.
The name recalls the Argonauts, legendary explorers who set sail into the unknown... 🌙

@esa @Thales_Alenia_S There's more to the Argonaut patch than meets the eye – can you spot the hidden messages?
If you need a hint 👉 blogs.esa.int/exploration/ar…

Meet Argonaut: Europe's lunar lander programme 🌙

🚀 Launching on Ariane 6 rockets by end of 2030, Argonaut will deliver technology demonstrators 🤖, infrastructure 🏗️, science 🔬 and cargo 📦 to the Moon.

🔗esa.int/Science_Explor…

@esau@Thales_Alenia_Se@ESA_transportlanding with a European-built and operated lander, Argonaut gives Europe end-to-end access to the Moon.
It will allow European researchers to send science and technology directly to the lunar surface, advancing discovery and preparing future exploration 🔬.

@esa @Thales_Alenia_S @ESA_transport 🤝 Argonaut will also contribute to international exploration, helping to build the communications, power, navigation and logistics infrastructure needed for long-term operations on the Moon, as well as delivering essential supplies for astronauts 🌕👨‍🚀.

📡🌕 Lunar Link is complete.
@esa’s lunar telecommunications system is now fully assembled, tested and ready for space.
Built by ESA and European industry led by @Thales_Alenia_S, Lunar Link represents years of engineering excellence from across Europe.
🔗 esa.int/Science_Explor…

🔴 Ten Mars-velous years at the Red Planet! 🎉

Here’s to a decade full of:

✨ Discovery

🤝 Teamwork

🛰️ Evolving capabilities

And to all that is yet to come! Thank you, TGO!

Learn more here 👉 esa.int/Enabling_Suppo…

A prolific decade in Mars orbit.

@esa’s Trace Gas Orbiter slipped into orbit around Mars at 17:24 CEST on 19 October 2016.

Here are some impressive facts and figures about our largest Mars explorer 👇

🌕🚀 Over the past two weeks we’ve gone from lunar laser ranging to resource prospecting and lunar communications. Here’s a recap of
@esa’s upcoming lunar science and tech demo missions, in order of launch 🔗esa.int/Science_Explor…