Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
At 10:14 CET on 28 March, the first two satellites of ESA’s Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Māhia, New Zealand.
Celeste is Europe’s first initiative to bring satellite navigation into low Earth orbit (LEO). By testing next-generation technologies and new frequency bands, it will help shape the future of positioning, navigation and timing services.
Flying closer to Earth, Celeste will demonstrate how a complementary LEO layer can strengthen Europe’s Galileo system in medium Earth orbit — improving resilience, enhancing performance and enabling new services.
Credits: Rocket Lab
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/03/Celeste_liftoff
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We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
At 10:14 CET on 28 March, the first two satellites of ESA’s Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Māhia, New Zealand.
Celeste is Europe’s first initiative to bring satellite navigation into low Earth orbit (LEO). By testing next-generation technologies and new frequency bands, it will help shape the future of positioning, navigation and timing services.
Flying closer to Earth, Celeste will demonstrate how a complementary LEO layer can strengthen Europe’s Galileo system in medium Earth orbit — improving resilience, enhancing performance and enabling new services.
Credits: Rocket Lab
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/03/Celeste_liftoff
★ Subscribe: bit.ly/ESAsubscribe and click twice on the bell button to receive our notifications.
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
![Orbital mechanics and understanding the high beta angle period 🌍 [French with English subtitles]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w5SMP4hNhxA/mqdefault.jpg "Orbital mechanics and understanding the high beta angle period 🌍 [French with English subtitles]
Our astronaut Sophie Adenot shared this video on her social media channels with the caption:
[EN] Day 100, orbit 1547 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 8: orbital mechanics and understanding the high beta angle period…
This high beta period happens about 4 times per year and lasts 7 to 10 days each time. I recorded this two weeks ago already, so we’re back to alternating between 45 minutes of daylight and 45 minutes of night!
[FR] Jour 100, orbite 1547 – La science du dimanche matin avec Sophie, épisode 8 : comprendre ce qu’est la période d’angle bêta élevé…
Cette période d’angle bêta élevé se produit environ 4 fois par an, et dure à chaque fois de 7 à 10 jours. J’ai enregistré ça il y a déjà deux semaines, donc nous sommes de retour à une alternance de 45 minutes de jour et 45 minutes de nuit !
📹 ESA/NASA
#ESA #Astronaut #ISS")
