BepiColombo reveals Mercury in a new light

Published on December 9, 2024
First mid-infrared light observations of Mercury

On 1 December 2024, BepiColombo flew past Mercury for the fifth time. During this flyby, BepiColombo became the first spacecraft ever to observe Mercury in mid-infrared light. The new images reveal variations in temperature and composition across the planet's cratered surface.

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New facility for small satellites set to boost UK EO sector

December 9, 2024
A new national facility set to boost the UK’s thriving Earth observation sector with access to world-leading instrumentation and expertise is open for business. ​​​​​​Close up of instrumentation at the Small Satellite Calibration Facility. Credit: STFC RAL Space​​​​The Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) RAL Space and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have combined expertise to

XMM-Newton celebrates 25 years of breakthroughs

December 10, 2024
Today, ESA’s powerful X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton, celebrates 25 years in space. From planets to black holes, the space telescope has delivered many ground-breaking observations of a variety of celestial objects. And the mission is still going strong as recent results testify. We take a look at five fascinating discoveries from the last five years.