It's a long way to Jupiter... but we're already 1⃣ year down! Two days before #ESAJuice 's first birthday, we catch up with the team.
From memories of launch to hopes for the future, they talk honestly about the ups & downs (literal & emotional) of flying a space mission.…

Next up in our 2024 series on the digitisation activities of the #ESAarchives , we talk to some of the people involved – come with us for a behind-the-scenes look at the processes and challenges involved in digitising ESA material 👇
🔗historicalarchives.esa.int/discussions-di…

#OTD 12 April 1981, launch of Space Shuttle #Columbia on mission #STS1 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center 🚀
Europe's contribution to this programme led to #Spacelab and 24 Europeans going into space on the 'world’s greatest flying machine', as described by John Young, commander of this first…

#OTD 11 April 2006, #ESA 's #Venus Express entered orbit around our closest neighbouring planet #Venus where it carried out operations for the next 8 years
ESA Science
🔗esa.int/ESA_Multimedia…

#DYK ? The first astronauts to observe an eclipse from space were NASA's Gemini 12 crew in 1966, but they were unsuccessful in getting photos. It was not until 33 years later that humans first saw the Moon's shadow on the planet below...

French astronaut Jean-Pierre Haigneré…

#OTD 45 years ago: 10 April 1979, Georgi Ivanov🇧🇬 became the first citizen of #Bulgaria in space when he was launched on 4th #Intercosmos mission to #Salyut 6 space station
Association of Space Explorers
🔗en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgi_Iv…

#OTD 10 April 2020, the joint #ESA /JAXA(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) BepiColombo mission captured some stunning pics of Earth during its 1st & only flyby on the 7 year journey to #Mercury
ESA Science
🔗esa.int/Science_Explor…

Getting ready for a big birthday: on 14 April 1964, French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou announced that French Guiana would be the site of Centre spatial guyanais. Le CSG fête ses 60 ans 🥳

🚀 On 22 November 2013, ESA's Swarm mission was launched, a trio of satellites that has been studying Earth's magnetic field ever since.

👯💃 The three satellites orbit in a special constellation: Swarms A and C as a pair at an altitude of 462 km, Swarm B is more distant at 510 km.…

In Copenhagen, we're celebrating🔟 years
3⃣ satellites 🛰️🛰️🛰️
4⃣ satellites
➕ more satellites!
🧲 Taking the pulse of Earth's magnetic field, one of the most mysterious aspects of our planet
📊 We've heard some great science

Today, it's Swarm's past, present, and future 🔮

#OTD 9 April 1968, Centre spatial guyanais in #Kourou , French Guiana, became operational with its first launch of a CNES #Veronique sounding rocket 🚀
🔗esa.int/About_Us/ESA_h…

And we're off! Mission manager Anja Stromme and DTU Space's Nils Olsen welcome us to the Swarm 10th anniversary science conference 🤩

#OTD 8 April 2010, launch of ESA's CryoSat mission, Europe's first mission dedicated to studying Earth’s ice❄️and water💦
Still operational 14 years later & extended to 2025! 👏 Happy launch anniversary #CryoSat2 !🎉
🔗esa.int/Applications/O…

🎂 HAPPY BIRTHDAY #CryoSat ! 🎂

The sun and moon are trying to overshadow us, but we won't be eclipsed.

🥳 14 years in orbit, today!
1⃣4⃣ years of monitoring Earth's ice ❄️ water 🌊 and even the seabed floor 🌋
🎁 The gift that keeps on giving
🍾 Here's to many more!