Intergovernmental Space Agency
Appears in 3 stories
Actively monitoring event via SOHO satellite
On January 18, 2026, the Sun fired the most intense radiation storm in over 20 years directly at Earth. An X1.9-class flare launched a coronal mass ejection traveling at 1,700 kilometers per second—plasma moving fast enough to cross the Sun-Earth distance in just 25 hours. The resulting geomagnetic storm reached G4 (Severe) levels, placing it at the top of warning scales and triggering auroras visible from Texas to Italy. Three weeks later, the Sun has not quieted. On February 2, a massive sunspot region designated AR4366—nearly 10 times wider than Earth—erupted with an X8.1 flare, the strongest since the January event. Two days later, on February 4, another X4.2 flare followed, with additional M-class flares crackling almost continuously from the same region.
Updated Feb 7
Advancing the Fly! initiative while ESA engineers increasingly appear in commercial flights
On December 20, 2025, Blue Origin flew New Shepard NS-37—and a line quietly snapped. Michaela “Michi” Benthaus became the first wheelchair user to cross the Kármán line, float free in microgravity, and come home safely.
Updated Dec 20, 2025
Confirms VA266 success and begins early orbit operations/in-orbit testing for SAT 33/34; projects 29 active satellites after commissioning.
VA266 didn’t just lift off—ESA has now formally declared the mission successful after acquisition of signal, confirming Galileo SAT 33 and SAT 34 are healthy with their solar arrays deployed. That shifts the story from launch drama to operations: early-orbit checks and in-orbit testing, then a slow drift toward Galileo’s 23,222 km operational regime.
No stories match your search
Try a different keyword
How would you like to describe your experience with the app today?
