Human Spaceflight (@esaspaceflight) header
Human Spaceflight (@esaspaceflight) profile picture

Human Spaceflight

@esaspaceflight

Sharing news on Europe's human and robotic exploration, from astronaut training to the next giant leap to the Moon and Mars.

 Estec, Noordwijk
esa.int/spaceflight
Joined March 2011
  • Tweets13.6K
  • Following649
  • Followers139K
Inspector Mars gadget 🕵️‍♀️ Our rover also needs legs to land on Mars. European industry fast-tracked these sturdy legs 🦿 They will be the first part of the #ExoMars spacecraft to touch the martian surface in 2030 🔴 esa.int/media/about-us/direc… 📸: Sener
A mechanical engineer carefully checks the mechanical interfaces of the landing legs of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission.

ALT A mechanical engineer carefully checks the mechanical interfaces of the landing legs of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission.

9
3
32
2,322
🛞 Amalia tackled slopes, boulders and Mars-like gravity, driving onto simulated martian terrain more than 20 times during a two-month test campaign with @Thales_Alenia_S at @ALTECSpace 🇮🇹
4
3
20
1,202
Human for scale 🧍 Chiara meets Amalia 🤝 @esa ExoMars rover engineer Chiara Lombardi stands next to Amalia, a twin model of the Rosalind Franklin rover, after it drove off its landing platform. This will be one of the most critical moments of the mission when the rover reaches Mars in 2030.
ESA ExoMars rover engineer Chiara Lombardi stands next to Amalia, a twin model of the Rosalind Franklin rover, after it drove off its landing platform at Altec's facilities in Turin, Italy.

ALT ESA ExoMars rover engineer Chiara Lombardi stands next to Amalia, a twin model of the Rosalind Franklin rover, after it drove off its landing platform at Altec's facilities in Turin, Italy.

6
35
6
205
11,784
Europe's most sophisticated robot arm has a shoulder, elbow and wrist, along with built-in brain and eyes 🦾 With a reach of up to 2.4 metres, the Sample Transfer Arm performs a large range of movements with millimetre precision 🎯 Here's a closer look at its gripping hand: esa.int/media/about-us/direc… 📸: @esa/@LDO_Space
European engineers inspect an intricate robotic arm designed for delicate space operations. At the centre of this image is a robotic gripper which, like a human hand, can handle objects with millimetre precision.

ALT European engineers inspect an intricate robotic arm designed for delicate space operations. At the centre of this image is a robotic gripper which, like a human hand, can handle objects with millimetre precision.

4
15
2
52
2,231
The new finding combines atmospheric and geological analysis with a bit of intuition. This is where Daniel Mège, a planetary scientist with a passion for volcanism and jazz, storms into the room to confirm what the science community had long suspected: Mars is not geologically dead. blogs.esa.int/to-mars-and-ba…
Daniel Mège, Professor at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and interdisciplinary scientist of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission.

ALT Daniel Mège, Professor at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and interdisciplinary scientist of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission.

1
11
737
🔴 There is hot news coming from Mars. For the first time, orbital data is revealing signs of young volcanism. Deep down, Mars might not be geologically dead, just sleeping. @esa’s Trace Gas Orbiter detected hydrogen chloride, a gas that escapes from volcanic vents on Earth: esa.int/articles/news-media/…
🤖 Made with AI
3
42
8
174
7,932
Replying to @esaspaceflight @esa @esascience @ESA_TGO @ESA_ExoMars @NASAMars @NASA
Radiation watcher ☢️ Astronauts on a return mission to Mars would be exposed to at least 60% of the recommended radiation dose limit. Radiation measurements from TGO confirm the paradoxical finding that travelling during solar maximum is the best time to go.
1
1
9
551
Replying to @esaspaceflight @esa @esascience @ESA_TGO @ESA_ExoMars @NASAMars
Communication hub 🛰️ TGO plays a critical role relaying information from rovers and landers on the martian surface back to Earth. It supports @NASA's current surface missions and will do the same for @esa's Rosalind Franklin rover when it lands in 2030.
Artist's impression of ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Rosalind Franklin rover.

ALT Artist's impression of ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Rosalind Franklin rover.

1
5
163
Replying to @esaspaceflight @esa @esascience @ESA_TGO @ESA_ExoMars
Mars photographer 📸 TGO’s high-resolution colour camera takes detailed images of the surface, revealing composition and topography. It even captured @NASAMars's Perseverance rover in Jezero crater. Can you spot it? 🤖
Image from Human Spaceflight (@esaspaceflight)
Image from Human Spaceflight (@esaspaceflight)
1
5
175
Replying to @esaspaceflight @esa @esascience @ESA_TGO @ESA_ExoMars
Water detective 🕵️‍♂️💧 🛰️ TGO tracks water vapour and clouds from the surface up to the edge of space, helping us understand how the planet lost its oceans over billions of years.
Valles Marineris in Mars.

ALT Valles Marineris in Mars.

1
5
196
Replying to @esaspaceflight @esa @esascience @ESA_TGO @ESA_ExoMars
Trace gas mapper 🗺️ TGO can detect gases down to a few parts per trillion. In 2021, it detected hydrogen chloride on Mars for the very first time. 👀 Tracking these gases tells us how air circulates and how the atmosphere interacts with the surface below.
Artist's impression of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter observing water in the martian atmosphere.

ALT Artist's impression of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter observing water in the martian atmosphere.

1
8
269
Trace gases make up less than 1% of the martian atmosphere by volume, but they play a critical role in regulating the planet's climate and weather. Our spacecraft was designed to be more sensitive to trace gases than any other mission. Here are 5 things @esa's Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) was made for 🧵👇
1
5
358
🔴 40 000+ Mars orbits 🌅 30 000+ sunrises and sunsets 📊 600+ gigabytes, more than all other Mars spacecraft combined Meet the #ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, @esa's largest and most sophisticated martian explorer.
Facts and figures of a decade in Mars orbit for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

ALT Facts and figures of a decade in Mars orbit for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

8
26
3
122
13,170
👋 Meet Mars! 🔴 Here are seven things you might not know about our planetary neighbour. 🎙️ Narration: AI-generated voice.
🤖 Made with AI
7
4
4
54
9,835
🌕 One last stop for our Moon month! @esa Lunar Projects Group Leader Sara Pastor joins #ESAExplores to talk about Europe’s lunar ambitions and how what we learn at the Moon could help prepare us for Mars. 🚀🎧 Still up for one more Moon story? 😉 Tune in 👇 podbean.com/pw/pbblog-i4r3m-…
1
17
2
61
3,323
😱 In space, no one can hear you scream... 🕵️ Can you guess where in the Solar System we took this image? Hint: @esa’s Trace Gas Orbiter captured it on an autumn day. 🎃 #HappyHalloween 📸: @ESA/@ESA_TGO/CaSSIS/@unibern
The image shows autumnal features at the Louth crater ice mound on Mars - a dark patch about 5 km long, ringed by a bright halo, expanded over just 10 martian days.

ALT The image shows autumnal features at the Louth crater ice mound on Mars - a dark patch about 5 km long, ringed by a bright halo, expanded over just 10 martian days.

1
11
38
3,076
Replying to @esaspaceflight @esa @NASAArtemis
🚀 @esa's fourth European Service Module will power Orion's journey. 🇪🇺 Built across Europe and assembled by @AirbusSpace in Bremen 🇩🇪, the module arrived at @NASAKSC in late 2025, where it is undergoing integration and testing ahead of a historic launch 🌕.
ESA's fourth European Service Module inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, on 31 July 2026. This module will power Orion on Artemis IV, planned to be the first mission to return astronauts to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. In this image, the outer panels of the Crew Module Adapter have been removed to provide easier access during ongoing testing and assembly activities. The grey protective covering around the European Service Module shields the spacecraft's radiators and other sensitive hardware from dust, contamination and accidental damage while it remains in the cleanroom. Credit: NASA. Find out more: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/08/Moon-bound_powerhouse

ALT ESA's fourth European Service Module inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, on 31 July 2026. This module will power Orion on Artemis IV, planned to be the first mission to return astronauts to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. In this image, the outer panels of the Crew Module Adapter have been removed to provide easier access during ongoing testing and assembly activities. The grey protective covering around the European Service Module shields the spacecraft's radiators and other sensitive hardware from dust, contamination and accidental damage while it remains in the cleanroom. Credit: NASA. Find out more: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/08/Moon-bound_powerhouse

1
10
1
80
6,373
🌕👣 The next Moon landing is getting closer. Planned for 2028, Artemis IV is the first mission to return humans to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 left the Moon in 1972. 📸: Apollo 17, Artemis II
The crescent Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this photograph taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft in lunar orbit during NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo programme. Credit: NASA

ALT The crescent Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this photograph taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft in lunar orbit during NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo programme. Credit: NASA

Earth sets beyond the Moon's horizon on flight day 6 of Artemis II, offering a beautiful view of our home planet from behind our natural satellite. The delicate blue arc contrasts with the stark lunar surface. Credit: NASA

ALT Earth sets beyond the Moon's horizon on flight day 6 of Artemis II, offering a beautiful view of our home planet from behind our natural satellite. The delicate blue arc contrasts with the stark lunar surface. Credit: NASA

7
61
5
380
11,878
Load more