How do plants know which way is up? This might seem like an obvious question, but how exactly does a plant know which way to grow its roots and which […]
ESA
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Astrochemistry, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Space Kombucha in the Search for Life and Its Origin
You might know it as a drink for hipsters or as an ancient brew drunk for centuries in Eurasia, but the culture that ferments sugary tea into Kombucha is going […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
European Satellite Could Discover Thousands of Planets
Princeton University and Lund University researchers project that the recently launched European satellite Gaia could discover tens of thousands of planets during its five-year mission. In this image, the colored […]
Posted inMars, Planetary Protection & Biosafety
Planetary Protection and ExoMars Payload Integration
Like surgeons in an operating room, the technicians work gowned and masked in ESA’s ultraclean microbiology laboratory, ensuring a high-tech sensor will not contaminate the Red Planet with terrestrial microbes. […]
Posted inPress Release, Titan
Titan's Swirling Polar Cloud is Cold and Toxic
The international Cassini mission has revealed that a giant, toxic cloud is hovering over the south pole of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, after the atmosphere has cooled in a dramatic […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Herschel Detects New Molecules Formed Around Old Stars
Using ESA’s Herschel space observatory, astronomers have discovered that a molecule vital for creating water exists in the burning embers of dying Sun-like stars. When low- to middleweight stars like […]
Posted inPlant Biology
Glowing Plants Are A Sign of Health
Radiant skin is considered a sign of good health in humans, but plants also glow when they are well. A potential new ESA satellite could use this fluorescence to track […]
Posted inMars, Planetary Protection & Biosafety
Planetary Protection: Preventing Microbial Hitchhiking
While astronauts might dream of discovering unknown life one day in their future career, ESA’s Planetary Protection Officer oversees activities that achieve it on a regular basis. As part of […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
Water Vapor Discovered At Ceres
ESA’s Herschel space observatory has discovered water vapour around Ceres, the first unambiguous detection of water vapour around an object in the asteroid belt. With a diameter of 950 km, […]
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Status Report
ESA's CAVES: Searching for Life in Strange Places
Last year schoolchildren were invited to dig up some earth in search of creepy-crawlies and underground life. Astronauts taking part in ESA’s underground training course CAVES joined the worldwide experiment […]