ESA's First Quarter 2025: Detailed Milky Way Charting, Mercury Mars Flybys, and Key Mission Preparations

The European Space Agency (ESA) reported a productive first quarter of 2025, marked by advancements in space exploration and technology. The Gaia space telescope released data charting the Milky Way galaxy in unprecedented detail. ESA spacecraft conducted flybys of Mercury and Mars, including a close encounter with Mars' moon Deimos. Preparations advanced for the launch of the Biomass mission, designed for forest mapping, and the Meteosat Third Generation Sounder, focused on atmospheric monitoring, along with the Sentinel-4 instrument. Contracts were finalized for Europe's Argonaut Lunar Lander and the Ramses space safety mission. ESA and the European Commission emphasized the importance of space for Europe's future at the European Space Conference. Additionally, ESA partnered with the International Red Cross to leverage space technology for humanitarian aid.