ESA sets 2026 priorities: SMILE launch and BepiColombo Mercury arrival
At his Jan. 8 press conference, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher set out 2026 priorities: the launch of SMILE — designed to give the first holistic view of Earth’s response to solar particle streams and radiation bursts — and the long‑anticipated arrival of BepiColombo at Mercury after its eight‑year cruise.