ESA Space Transport

“This moment could be historic.”

At #IAC2026, we discussed Europe’s future in exploration with our Member States, ahead of key decisions at the Intermediate Ministerial Meeting this December.

🔗esa.int/About_Us/Corpo…

Sentinel-3C sent its first views of Earth!

🔗esa.int/Applications/O…

Today at #IAC2026, our Director, Géraldine Naja, received the WIA-Europe the Outstanding Achievement Award 🧡

This award distinguishes women with exceptional accomplishments and leadership qualities.

Awards like this serve as a source of inspiration for future generations.

Read more: wia-europe.org/2026/10/03/con…

📸 credits: jonasphotto

Second fuelling rehearsal ✅

Themis, @esa's reusable rocket stage demonstrator, has complete its second 'wet dress rehearsal' at Esrange Space Center in Sweden on 29 September.

The rocket prototype was filled with liquid nitrogen to test the complete system.

Check out this interview from our Director of Space Transportation, Géraldine Naja ⬇️

air-cosmos.latribune.fr/article/espace…

We teamed up with @DLR_en to record rocket emissions 🚀

On 1 October, DLR launched a sounding rocket called Mapheus-17.

But, before liftoff, something else took off: an aircraft called Falcon 20E, which flew through the rocket plume and circle around, collecting as much data as possible.

What have we done last month?

🚀 We launched FLEX and Sentinel-3C on the same Vega-C rocket

🚀 Isar Aerospace's Spectrum launcher achieved the first launch to orbit from continental Europe

September may have ended, but we keep going!

youtube.com/watch?v=FyTnJa…

📣 Journalists are invited to attend our Intermediate Ministerial Meeting in Rome on 15 December, where ESA Member States will discuss Europe’s future in space exploration.

📰 Register by 30 October: esa.int/Newsroom/Press…

#IMM26

We still have some spots left for the ESTEC Open Day for people with disability 🇳🇱

Get up close to the technology we build for space missions and hear from our scientists, engineers and astronauts who make it all happen, at your own pace.

It's this Saturday, 26 September from 10:00 to 14:00 ⬇️

esa.int/About_Us/ESA_O…

From Europe's spaceport in French Guiana to orbit 🚀 #TBT

This timelapse shows (quickly) the weeks of work needed to get MTG-I2 and Ariane 6 ready for liftoff.

This was the ninth launch of Europe’s heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6, the first to go to as far as Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

🎥 Credits:
Photography by Manuel Pédoussaut, Stéphane Corvaja, Philippe Sebirot
Directed by Manuel Pédoussaut/Zetapress
Produced by Stéphane Corvaja/ESA

youtu.be/zD-gGHw83Lw?si…

Mission complete for Vega-C flight #VV30, two satellites launched and delivered to orbit. @ESA_EO's FLEX and @CopernicusEU's Sentinel-3C missions begin: esa.int/Applications/O…

First contact! Two for two delivered on today's Vega-C rocket flight #VV30 👏

We’ve reached the end of the line, all passengers, please leave the vehicle!
FLEX has now detached from the Vespa+R adapter and is on its way to its sun-synchronous orbit.

The fourth boost begins for Vega-C's upper stage AVUM+. This boost will set FLEX up for release into its orbit.

Flying 820 km above Earth, The Vespa+R adapter has just separated, revealing FLEX to space. The AVUM+ engine will ignite one last time to place FLEX in its precise orbit, from which it will work in tandem with Sentinel-3.

The third boost of Vega-C's upper stage for tonight's flight #VV30 is underway, a boost of thirty seconds will prepare for the separation of the secondary payload adapter Vespa+R.

In orbit and phoning home, satellite one of two delivered!
🚀🛰️📡🌍 #VV30

Bye-bye, Sentinel-3C! Tonight's first payload has just left the Vega-C rocket. Have a safe trip. We can't wait to see all the data you'll collect.

Liftoff of Vega-C flight #VV30 with at 03:21 CEST this morning 🚀
50 minutes later, flying over the western coast of Australia the second boost of the Vega-C upper stage AVUM+ has started to circularise its orbit and prepare Sentinel-3C for release.

And we are away, liftoff for Vega-C flight #VV30 🚀