ESO Top News

For decades, the Amazon rainforest has quietly absorbed vast quantities of human-generated carbon dioxide, helping to slow the pace of climate change. Recent evidence, however, suggests that this vital natural buffer may be weakening – though uncertainties remain.

To help close this critical knowledge gap, European and Brazilian researchers have gathered deep in the Amazon to carry out an ambitious European Space Agency-funded field campaign.

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Copernicus Sentinel-6B was launched on 17 November 2025, ready to continue a decades-long mission to track the height of the planet’s seas – a key measure of climate change. The satellite was carried into orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US.

Sentinel-6B follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, which was launched in 2020. The mission is the reference radar altimetry mission that continues the vital record of sea-surface height measurements until at least 2030.

Copernicus Sentinel-6 has become the gold standard reference mission to monitor and record sea-level rise. The mission’s main instrument is the Poseidon-4 dual-frequency (C-band and Ku-band) radar altimeter. Developed by ESA, the altimeter measures sea-surface height. It also captures the height of ‘significant’ waves as well as wind speed to support operational oceanography.

The latest guardian of our oceans has taken its place in orbit. The Copernicus Sentinel-6B satellite is now circling Earth, ready to continue a decades-long mission to track the height of the planet’s seas – a key measure of climate change.

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The Sun is always mesmerising to watch, but Solar Orbiter captured a special treat on camera: a dark ‘prominence’ sticking out from the side of the Sun.   

The dark-looking material is dense plasma (charged gas) trapped by the Sun's complex magnetic field. It looks dark because it is cooler than its surroundings, being around 10 000 °C compared to the surrounding million-degree plasma.  

When viewed against the background of space, the hovering plasma is referred to as a prominence. When viewed against the Sun's surface, it is called a filament. (In this image you can see examples of both.) 

Solar prominences and filaments extend for tens of thousands of kilometres, several times the diameter of Earth. They can last days or even months. This video shows one hour of footage, sped up to make movement more clearly visible.  

Solar Orbiter recorded this video with its Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument on 17 March 2025. At the time, the spacecraft was around 63 million km from the Sun, similar to planet Mercury. 

Solar Orbiter is a space mission of international collaboration between ESA and NASA. The EUI instrument is led by the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB). 

[Video description: Close-up video of the Sun, filling the left half of the view, its surface covered what looks like moving, glowing hairs accompanied by some short-lived bright arcs. Protruding to the right, in the centre of the video, is dark material that looks almost feathery, with thin streaks flowing both away from and towards the Sun.] 

Week in images: 10-14 November 2025

Discover our week through the lens

Since comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object, was discovered on 1 July 2025, astronomers worldwide have worked to predict its trajectory. ESA has now improved the comet’s predicted location by a factor of 10, thanks to the innovative use of observation data from our ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) spacecraft orbiting Mars.

Image: This very high-resolution image captures the beautiful medieval core of the Czech capital, Prague.

As the COP30 climate conference gets underway in Brazil, the world’s attention is once again drawn to the plight of the Amazon – the planet’s largest and most vital rainforest. With the European Space Agency’s Earth Explorer Biomass satellite now in orbit, ESA is helping Brazil prepare to transform this new mission’s groundbreaking data into actionable knowledge for protecting the rainforest and confronting climate change.

Astronomers using the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton space observatory and the LOFAR telescope have definitively spotted an explosive burst of material thrown out into space by another star – a burst powerful enough to strip away the atmosphere of any unlucky planet in its path.

Travelling up from Mars’s equator towards its north pole, we find Coloe Fossae: a set of intriguing scratches within a region marked by deep valleys, speckled craters, and signs of an ancient ice age.

Video: 00:03:42

The year 2025 marked three decades of satellite navigation in Europe. To celebrate this milestone, on 2 September, the European Space Agency (ESA) opened the doors of ESTEC, its research and technology centre. Partners from across the continent joined a sensational event that took the audience on a journey through time, honouring the achievements and collaboration that have shaped the success story of the systems we rely on today: Galileo and EGNOS. 

Video: 00:12:53

Meet John McFall – Paralympian, medical doctor and member of ESA’s Astronaut Reserve. As part of ESA’s groundbreaking FLY initiative, John is helping prove that physical disability is no barrier to space. In this episode, he shares the results of a feasibility study showing no technical showstoppers for flying to the International Space Station with a prosthesis and talks about what’s next—from hardware certification and scientific proposals to astronaut reserve training and running in microgravity.

In this miniseries, we take you on a journey through the ESA Astronaut Reserve, diving into the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany. Our “ARTists” are immersing themselves in everything from ESA and the International Space Station programme to the European space industry and institutions. They’re gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, alongside human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving and survival training. 

ESA’s Astronaut Reserve Training programme is all about building Europe’s next generation of space explorers—preparing them for the opportunities of future missions in Earth orbit and beyond.

This interview was recorded in February 2025.

You can listen to this episode on all major podcast platforms.

Keep exploring with ESA Explores!

Video: 00:04:49

English: Paxi and the Start of the Great Space Adventure

Join Paxi on a journey through time! Learn how humans first started exploring space, why countries in Europe teamed up to create the European Space Agency (ESA), what ESA does today, and how kids can be part of the adventure. 

Czech: Paxi a Začátek velkého vesmírného dobrodružství

Vydejte se s Paxi na cestu časem! Dozvíte se, jak lidé začali zkoumat vesmír, proč se evropské země spojily a založily Evropskou kosmickou agenturu (ESA), čím se ESA dnes zabývá a jak se děti mohou zapojit do tohoto dobrodružství. 

Danish: Paxi og begyndelsen på det store rumeventyr

Tag med Paxi på en rejse gennem tiden! Lær, hvordan mennesket begyndte at udforske rummet, hvorfor lande i Europa gik sammen om at oprette Den Europæiske Rumorganisation (ESA), hvad ESA laver i dag, og hvordan børn kan være en del af eventyret. 

Dutch: Paxi en het begin van het grote ruimteavontuur

Ga met Paxi mee op een reis door de tijd! Ontdek hoe mensen voor het eerst de ruimte gingen verkennen, waarom Europese landen samen de Europese Ruimtevaartorganisatie (ESA) hebben opgericht, wat ESA vandaag de dag doet en hoe kinderen deel kunnen uitmaken van dit avontuur. 

Estonian: Paxi ja suure kosmoseseikluse algus

Liitu Paxiga ajarännakule! Õpi, kuidas inimesed hakkasid kosmost uurima, miks Euroopa riigid ühinesid Euroopa Kosmoseagentuuri (ESA) loomiseks, mida ESA täna teeb ja kuidas lapsed saavad sellest seiklusest osa võtta. 

Finnish: Paxi ja suuren avaruusseikkailun alku

Lähde Paxin kanssa matkalle ajassa taaksepäin! Opi, miten ihmiset alkoivat tutkia avaruutta, miksi Euroopan maat perustivat yhdessä Euroopan avaruusjärjestön (ESA), mitä ESA tekee nykyään ja miten lapset voivat osallistua seikkailuun.

French: Paxi et le début de la grande aventure spatiale

Rejoignez Paxi dans un voyage à travers le temps ! Découvrez comment les humains ont commencé à explorer l'espace, pourquoi les pays européens se sont associés pour créer l'Agence spatiale européenne (ESA), ce que fait l'ESA aujourd'hui et comment les enfants peuvent participer à l'aventure. 

German: Paxi und der Beginn des großen Weltraumabenteuers

Begleite Paxi auf einer Reise durch die Zeit! Erfahre, wie die Menschen begannen, den Weltraum zu erforschen, warum sich europäische Länder zusammengeschlossen haben, um die Europäische Weltraumorganisation (ESA) zu gründen, was die ESA heute macht und wie Kinder Teil dieses Abenteuers werden können. 

Greek: Ο Πάξι και η αρχή της μεγάλης διαστημικής περιπέτειας

Ελάτε μαζί με τον Paxi σε ένα ταξίδι στο χρόνο! Μάθετε πώς οι άνθρωποι άρχισαν να εξερευνούν το διάστημα, γιατί οι χώρες της Ευρώπης συνεργάστηκαν για να δημιουργήσουν τον Ευρωπαϊκό Οργανισμό Διαστήματος (ESA), τι κάνει σήμερα ο ESA και πώς τα παιδιά μπορούν να συμμετάσχουν σε αυτή την περιπέτεια. 

Hungrarian: Paxi és a nagy űrkaland kezdete

Csatlakozz Paxihoz egy időutazásra! Tudj meg, hogyan kezdték el az emberek az űr kutatását, miért álltak össze az európai országok az Európai Űrügynökség (ESA) létrehozására, mit csinál ma az ESA, és hogyan vehetnek részt a gyerekek is ebben a kalandban. 

Italian: Paxi e l’inizio della grande avventura nello Spazio

Unisciti a Paxi in un viaggio attraverso il tempo! Scopri come gli esseri umani hanno iniziato a esplorare lo spazio, perché i paesi europei hanno collaborato per creare l'Agenzia Spaziale Europea (ESA), cosa fa oggi l'ESA e come i bambini possono partecipare a questa avventura. 

Norwegian: Paxi og starten på det store romeventyret

Bli med Paxi på en reise gjennom tiden! Lær hvordan menneskene først begynte å utforske verdensrommet, hvorfor landene i Europa gikk sammen om å opprette Den europeiske romorganisasjonen (ESA), hva ESA gjør i dag, og hvordan barn kan være med på eventyret. 

Polish: Paxi i początek wielkiej kosmicznej przygody

Dołącz do Paxi w podróży przez czas! Dowiedz się, jak ludzie zaczęli odkrywać kosmos, dlaczego kraje europejskie połączyły siły, aby stworzyć Europejską Agencję Kosmiczną (ESA), czym zajmuje się obecnie ESA i jak dzieci mogą wziąć udział w tej przygodzie. 

Portuguese: Paxi e o início da grande aventura espacial

Junte-se a Paxi numa viagem pelo tempo! Saiba como os humanos começaram a explorar o espaço, por que os países da Europa se uniram para criar a Agência Espacial Europeia (ESA), o que a ESA faz hoje e como as crianças podem fazer parte dessa aventura. 

Romanian: Paxi și începutul marii aventuri spațiale

Alătură-te lui Paxi într-o călătorie în timp! Află cum au început oamenii să exploreze spațiul, de ce țările din Europa s-au asociat pentru a crea Agenția Spațială Europeană (ESA), ce face ESA astăzi și cum pot copiii să participe la această aventură. 

Slovenian: Paxi in začetek velike vesoljske pustolovščine

Pridružite se Paxiju na potovanju skozi čas! Spoznajte, kako so ljudje začeli raziskovati vesolje, zakaj so se evropske države združile in ustanovile Evropsko vesoljsko agencijo (ESA), kaj ESA počne danes in kako lahko otroci sodelujejo v tej pustolovščini. 

Spanish: Paxi y el comienzo de la gran aventura espacial

¡Acompaña a Paxi en un viaje a través del tiempo! Descubre cómo los seres humanos comenzaron a explorar el espacio, por qué los países europeos se unieron para crear la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA), qué hace la ESA hoy en día y cómo los niños pueden formar parte de la aventura. 

Swedish: Paxi & början på det stora rymdäventyret

Följ med Paxi på en resa genom tiden! Lär dig hur människan började utforska rymden, varför länderna i Europa gick samman för att bilda Europeiska rymdorganisationen (ESA), vad ESA gör idag och hur barn kan vara med på äventyret. 

Video: 00:03:39

The Copernicus Sentinel-1D satellite has joined the Sentinel-1 mission in orbit. Launch took place on 4 November 2025 at 22:02 CET (18:02 local time) on board an Ariane 6 launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The Sentinel-1 mission delivers high-resolution radar images of Earth’s surface, performing in all weathers, day-and-night. This service is used by disaster response teams, environmental agencies, maritime authorities and climate scientists, who depend on frequent updates of critical data.

Sentinel-1D will work in tandem with Sentinel-1C, flying in the same orbit but 180° apart, to optimise global coverage and data delivery. Both satellites have a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument on board, which captures high-resolution imagery of Earth’s surface. They are also equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) instruments to improve detection and tracking of ships. When Sentinel-1D is fully operational, it will enable more frequent AIS observations, including data on vessel identity, location and direction of passage, enabling precise tracking.

Sentinel-1D was launched on Europe’s heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6 on flight designated VA265. 

Read full story: Copernicus Sentinel-1D reaches orbit on Ariane 6

Access the related broadcast quality video material: Sentinel-1D launch on Ariane 6 - VA265 / Sentinel-1 mission animations

Week in images: 03-07 November 2025

Discover our week through the lens

As the United Nations COP30 climate change conference convenes in Belém, Brazil, the world's attention will turn to the heart of the Amazon rainforest – a region that symbolises both hope and concern in the fight against climate change.

Once considered one of Earth's most vital carbon sinks, the Amazon is now showing troubling signs – satellite observations reveal that parts of this vast ecosystem are no longer absorbing carbon dioxide as they once did. In some areas, the forest has even become a net source of carbon emissions.

Image: Ahead of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30) taking place in Belém, Brazil, from 10-21 November, this IRIDE image shows the Branco River and its surrounding forests in the Brazilian state of Roraima.

Long before humans reached orbit, insects had already shown they could handle the hurdles of spaceflight. Light, highly adaptable and nutritionally rich, these resilient animals present an attractive option for European researchers studying reliable food sources for long-duration missions.

Image: Swoosh!