Cluster hears the heartbeat of magnetic reconnection 02 May 2013 For the first time, scientists have resolved the detailed structure of the core region where magnetic reconnection takes place in the magnetosphere of Earth using unprecedented wave measurements. The study, based on data from ESA's Cluster mission, has mapped different types of electrostatic waves in this region. The waves trace populations of plasma particles that are involved in the different stages of a magnetic reconnection event. Read more

Cluster finds source of aurora energy boost 10 April 2013 A new study has revealed that bursty bulk flows - fast streams of plasma launched towards Earth during magnetic substorms - are more important than previously thought and can carry one third of the total energy that brightens aurorae. Read more

Cassini sheds light on cosmic particle accelerators 18 February 2013 During an unusually strong blast of solar wind arriving at Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft detected particle acceleration to ultra-high energies, similar to what takes place around supernova explosions. Read more

The tail of Venus and the weak solar wind 29 January 2013 Measurements obtained with ESA's Venus Express spacecraft have shed new light on the interaction between the solar wind and the second planet from the Sun. Read more

Cassini-Huygens Participating Scientists Announcement of Opportunity 2013 08 March 2013 The scientific community is invited to submit proposals for Participating Scientists (PS) to the Cassini-Huygens mission. This Announcement of Opportunity is published jointly by ESA, NASA, and ASI. This year proposals are being taken via a two-step process. Step-1 proposals are required. The deadline for submission of Step-1 proposals is 26 March 2013. Full proposals are due 3 May 2013. Read more

Call for White Papers for the definition of the L2 and L3 missions in the ESA Science Programme 05 March 2013 This Call, open to the broad scientific community, solicits White Papers to propose science themes and associated questions to be addressed by ESA's next two large (L-class) missions, L2 and L3. The submission deadline for White Papers is 24 May 2013, 12:00 CEST (noon). Read more

No. 256 – Continuation of the fourteenth Earth occultation season, start of the twenty-third eclipse season, and start of surface imaging campaign 28 March 2013 This reporting period covers four weeks of Venus Express operations, from 6 January to 2 February 2013, and includes the continuation of the fourteenth occultation season, the start of the twenty-third eclipse season, and start of the Venus surface imaging campaign. Read more

No. 158 - Spin-up and entry into deep-space hibernation 30 June 2011 This report covers nine days of Rosetta mission operations: 6 to 14 June 2011. The main activities were the spin-up of the spacecraft and entry into deep-space hibernation mode. The spacecraft will remain in this state until 20 January 2014 when the hibernation exit sequence will be initiated. The next Rosetta status report will be issued towards the end of January 2014. Read more

#12: BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Proto-Flight Mechanical and Propulsion Bus undergoes bake-out 05 February 2013 The BepiColombo MPO has been baked out in the Phenix thermal vacuum facility at ESTEC, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Read more

#11: BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Proto-Flight Mechanical and Propulsion Bus Arrives at ESTEC 18 January 2013 The BepiColombo MPO Mechanical and Propulsion Bus Proto-Flight Model has arrived at ESTEC for its bake-out operation. Read more