Astronomy

Video: 00:04:21

Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission –  has launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from the European spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 13 August at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).

MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.

This new weather satellite also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission to deliver daily global data on air pollutants and atmospheric trace gases as well as aerosols and ultraviolet radiation.

Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy launcher and a key element of ESA’s efforts to ensure autonomous access to space for Europe’s citizens. Ariane 6 has three stages: two or four boosters, and a main and upper stage. For this flight, VA264, the rocket was used in its two-booster configuration.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida on Thursday morning (Aug. 14), carrying 28 Starlink broadband satellites into low Earth orbit.

As the planet heats up, the atmosphere is holding more moisture – and this is resulting in more days with weather conditions close to the limits of survivability

As the planet heats up, the atmosphere is holding more moisture – and this is resulting in more days with weather conditions close to the limits of survivability

As the planet heats up, the atmosphere is holding more moisture – and this is resulting in more days with weather conditions close to the limits of survivability

As 'Alien: Earth' hits screens, the night sky delivers a cameo from the franchise's iconic villain.

Children seem to be less likely to be obese if they live at high altitude, which may be due to its effect on metabolism and appetite

Children seem to be less likely to be obese if they live at high altitude, which may be due to its effect on metabolism and appetite

The moon will drift towards the Pleiades and Uranus in the early hours of Aug. 16-17.

The future captain of the Enterprise eclipses his co-stars every time he appears in "Strange New Worlds."

SpaceX's Crew-11 mission delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA, aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Advanced satellite and lidar mapping has uncovered signs that the Tintina fault in Canada's Yukon may be primed for a powerful earthquake.

Image: The development of ESA’s Earth Explorer FLEX mission has recently passed a significant milestone: the mission’s all-important instrument has been joined to its satellite platform.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 24 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit after lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Aug. 14, 2025.

One of the all-time historic skyscapes occured in July 1054, when the

A study of 150,000 people with ADHD in Sweden confirms that drugs taken to manage the condition have wider benefits beyond improving immediate symptoms

A study of 150,000 people with ADHD in Sweden confirms that drugs taken to manage the condition have wider benefits beyond improving immediate symptoms

What if we could send a probe smaller than a paperclip, yes a paperclip to visit a black hole? It sounds impossible, but one scientist believes this extraordinary mission could become reality within our lifetimes. Astrophysicist Cosimo Bambi has outlined a bold plan to launch microscopic spacecraft toward the nearest black hole, potentially revolutionising our understanding of physics and Einstein's theory of general relativity. While the technology doesn't exist today and would cost trillions, within the next 20-30 years it could become a reality!

NASA has selected six companies to produce studies focused on lower-cost ways to launch and deliver spacecraft of various sizes and forms to multiple, difficult-to-reach orbits. The firm-fixed-price awards comprise nine studies with a maximum total value of approximately $1.4 million.