The teams responsible for flying the Aeolus satellite completed a pre-launch ‘dress rehearsal’ at ESA’s ESOC operations centre in Darmstadt today, the last major step in getting ready for next Tuesday’s liftoff.

Source: ESA news

Follow the launch of Aeolus live from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 21 August. Streaming begins at 20:45 GMT (22:45 CEST), with liftoff at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST)
Source: ESA news

Operations image of the week: The newest member of ESA’s network of ground stations, a 4.5 m-diameter antenna in Australia, is primed and ready to hear Aeolus’ first words
Source: ESA news

Technology image of the week: This Friday, ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst will be commanding this humanoid robot from orbit, and you can watch the test live
Source: ESA news

Human and robotic exploration image of the week: The International Space Station launches CubeSats into orbit
Source: ESA news

ESA’s Aeolus wind satellite is poised for liftoff from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. This latest Earth Explorer satellite has been at the launch site since early July being readied for its ride into space on 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).

Source: ESA news

Space Science Image of the Week: The Proba-2 satellite saw two partial solar eclipses on Saturday
Source: ESA news

An enigmatic X-ray source revealed as part of a data-mining project for high-school students shows unexplored avenues hidden in the vast archive of ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory.

Source: ESA news

Operations image of the week: comet Swift–Tuttle leaves in its wake a trail of cometary debris — the cause of the annual Perseids meteor showers and a reminder of Earth’s vulnerable position in space
Source: ESA news

As preparations for the launch of ESA’s latest Earth Explorer continue on track, the team at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana has bid farewell to the Aeolus satellite as it was sealed from view in its Vega rocket fairing. Liftoff is set for 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).

Source: ESA news