October brought a series of discoveries and milestones for the European Space Agency. The team working with the Rosalind Franklin rover trained in the desert of Spain as it prepared for the mission to Mars.
ESA’s Smile mission captured the complete ring of northern lights around Earth, while Mars Express found new clues about a giant cloud in the Martian atmosphere. The agency did not provide further details about the observations in its monthly review.
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot also returned to Earth after spending 237 days in space. Meanwhile, the Hera mission captured its first images of the asteroids it will study as part of efforts to help protect Earth.
The agency also opened its facilities to thousands of visitors during Open Days. In addition, ESA worked with Pokémon to introduce space science to new audiences.
Sources: ESA Space News.