What happened this month at European Space Agency (May 2026)

What did space deliver for Europe this month? From asteroid flybys to Mars landing tests, new discoveries from Webb and Hubble, and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot capturing shooting stars from orbit, here’s your monthly roundup from the European Space Agency.

This month also saw ESA team up with DON’T NOD (https://dont-nod.com/en/) for Aphelion, a sci-fi adventure inspired by real space science and exploration.

Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)

Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/05/This_Month_at_ESA_May_2026

Chapters:
0:00 - 0:03 This Month at ESA
0:03 - 0:26 Smile mission launched
0:26 - 0:50 ESA and JAXA team up for planetary defence
0:50 - 1:10 Newly discovered asteroid passes Earth 
1:10 - 1:35 Webb and Hubble images reveal new insights on stars
1:35 - 1:53 Simulating a Mars landing on Earth
1:53 - 2:14 Exomars parachute baked to perfection
2:14 - 2:39 ESA helps bring science into gaming
2:39 - 3:34 Sophie Adenot captures comets and advances science
3:34 - 3:56 ESA’s astronaut reserve has completed its Astronaut Reserve Training programme.
3:56 - 4:23 That’s a wrap for This Month at ESA!

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Видео What happened this month at European Space Agency (May 2026) канала European Space Agency, ESA