As part of the ESA Academy Experiments programme, the GRASP student team from Sapienza University of Rome tested a robotic arm fitted with a gecko-inspired adhesive gripper under microgravity-like conditions. The test campaign took place in November 2025 at ESA ESTEC’s Orbital Robotics Lab. The experiment aims to advance technologies for active debris removal and spacecraft docking operations. 

Image: This week Earth from Space features a wintery image: a red and white sphere that, if seen from a distance, resembles a festive decoration.

Have you ever dreamed of implementing your own CubeSat mission but did not know where to start? Have you ever imagined being part of a mission operating a CubeSat in orbit? ESA’s Education Office is inviting university students to apply for the CubeSat Hands-On Training Week 2026. This event offers a rare chance to strengthen…

The Swedish-German REXUS/BEXUS programme has selected a new group of student teams for the next flight campaign. These teams will have the opportunity to design and develop their own experiments for launch on a stratospheric balloon or a sounding rocket.

45th EARSeL Symposium – Call for Abstracts is open sonia Thu, 18/12/2025 – 10:42 The abstract submission is open for the 45th EARSeL Symposium When:                29 September – 02 October 2026Where:              Athens, Greece The Symposium will include 7 workshops and 18 special sessions. Please visit the Symposium website  for more information on the venue and…

2026 GEO Symposium / GEO-21 Plenary sonia Thu, 18/12/2025 – 09:29 Registration is now open for the 2026 GEO Symposium and GEO-21 Plenary, which will take place 26–28 May 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.  Held under the theme “Investing in Earth Intelligence for a Resilient Future,” the 2026 GEO Symposium and GEO-21 Plenary will convene governments, space agencies, research…

Ten years ago in a galaxy not far away… well, this one actually. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the European Astro Pi Challenge!

The ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School offers a comprehensive overview of microgravity and hypergravity research. Hosted by ESA’s Education Office and the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA), the next edition will take place from 15 to 26 June 2026, combining one week of onsite activities with one week of online learning. The Summer School…

Copernicus Sentinel-6B, launched last month, has reached its orbit and delivered its first set of data, which show variations in sea level in the North Atlantic Ocean. This data underlines how the mission will continue to strengthen the long-term reference record of sea levels, a key parameter of climate change.