Professor Carole Mundell
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cmundell.esa.int
Professor Carole Mundell
@cmundell.esa.int
1.7K followers 90 following 84 posts
Director of Science, @esa.int; Head of the European Space Astronomy Centre, Madrid. Astrophysicist, science diplomat, ex-Science Council President; ex-Chief Scientist Adviser & International Science Envoy, UK FCDO. She/her. My views.
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Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
eurospacehistory.bsky.social
ESA's next mission to Venus, #Envision, will be launched in the 2030s to provide a complete view of the planet, from inner core to upper atmosphere, to determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently.

www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @cmundell.esa.int @thalesaleniaspace.bsky.social @esa.int
Artist impression of ESA's Envision spacecraft
November 9, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
sarahkendrew.bsky.social
Are you an IR detectors nerd, or need to go deep into detector systematics for your #JWST MIRI science? You might be interested in this paper on MIRI's Reset Switch Charge Decay effect (RSCD) by Mike Ressler et al 🔭🧪https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/ae0afb
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iopscience.iop.org
October 27, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
ice2thrust.bsky.social
🛰️ The #ESAOpenDay wrapped up with a stellar showcase of space science and innovation. Big appreciation to nl.esa.int and the entire crew for making space exploration more accessible and inspiring to the public 👏.
October 14, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
esa.int
ESA is set to strengthen its presence in 🇪🇸 with new contracts with local industry and a strategic framework with @aeegob.bsky.social, paving the way for closer collaboration and reinforcement of Spain-based ESA ESAC's role as a centre of excellence in science, education and environmental research.
Spain's Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities and President of the Agencia Espacial Española Diana Morant (second from left) with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, Director of the Agencia Espacial Española Juan Carlos Cortés and ESA Director of Science and Head of the European Space Astronomy Centre Carole Mundell.
October 16, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
esa.int
More:
www.esa.int/About_Us/Cor...

@josefaschbacher.esa.int @es.esa.int @cmundell.esa.int
October 16, 2025 at 3:52 PM
cmundell.esa.int
Great opportunity to do novel research with ground-breaking space missions that goes beyond their original science goals. And, of course, an chance to work in a great community of expert space scientists and engineers at my @esa.int @es.esa.int @science.esa.int establishment #ESAC in sunny Madrid!
science.esa.int ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · Oct 7
Interested in research based on our archive data?

Then the ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme might be for you.

The next deadline for applications is 10 November 2025. Check out all the application details here 👉 www.cosmos.esa.int/web/esdc/vis... ☄️ 🧪 🔭
Illustration promoting the Archival Research Visitor Programme and the next deadline date of 10 November 2025. In the background, a model image of what our home galaxy, the Milky Way, might look like face-on: as viewed from above the disc of the galaxy, with its spiral arms and bulge in full view. In the centre of the galaxy, the bulge shines as a hazy oval, emitting a faint golden gleam. Starting at the central bulge, several glistening spiral arms coil outwards, creating a perfectly circle-shaped spiral. They give the impression of someone having sprinkled pastel purple glitter on the pitch-black background, in the shape of sparkling, curled-up snakes. Milky Way illustration by ESA/Gaia/DPAC, Stefan Payne-Wardenaar.
October 7, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
leighfletcher.bsky.social
An overview of ESA's roster of upcoming missions, and hopes for the future. Ambitious plans need ambitious funding, so all eyes are on the Council of Ministers in Nov (Bremen), setting ESA budgets for the next 3 years. July interview with @cmundell.bsky.social 🪐

www.techjournal.uk/p/esa-seeks-...
ESA Seeks Budget Hike to Secure Enceladus Mission Under Voyage 2050
Europe’s space science ambitions hinge on modest funding increase to pursue life-detection missions and safeguard flagship observatories
www.techjournal.uk
August 30, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
lisacommunity.bsky.social
Carole Mundell (@cmundell.bsky.social @esa.int ) is presenting a journey "From Earth to the Fabric of Spacetime" this evening at Glasgow SEC!
#GR24Amaldi16
Carole Mundell presenting - she is standing on a stage with slides behind her.
July 16, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
ligomagazine.bsky.social
Today at Carole Mundell's (@cmundell.bsky.social ) a few familiar objects can be spotted!

This mosaic shows a #GravitationalWave signal in time and frequency @uofgravity.bsky.social

Check out the story behind the first mosaic here: (page 17) ligo.org/wp-content/u...
A mosaic of a gravitational wave signal
July 16, 2025 at 7:51 PM
cmundell.esa.int
"With Enceladus in sight—& the solar system’s clock ticking— decisions made in Bremen may determine whether @esa.int continues to lead in deep-space science or misses a generational opportunity." My interview with
#JeffPao #ukspaceconf #Manchester
www.techjournal.uk/p/esa-seeks-...
ESA Seeks Budget Hike to Secure Enceladus Mission Under Voyage 2050
Europe’s space science ambitions hinge on modest funding increase to pursue life-detection missions and safeguard flagship observatories
www.techjournal.uk
July 23, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
de.esa.int
Ein einzigartiger Blick auf den Mond vom gestrigen #InternationalMoonDay.

Als #ESAJuice im August 2024 an unserem Mond vorbeiflog, hörte sein RIME-Instrument Radiowellen-Echos ab, um die Höhe der Mondoberfläche zu ermitteln.

Mehr dazu 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
science.esa.int ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · Jul 19
A unique view of the Moon for tomorrow's #InternationalMoonDay.

When #ESAJuice flew past our Moon in August 2024, its RIME instrument listened to radio wave echoes to reveal the height of the lunar surface 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 1/2 🔭 🧪
A purple scene with a pink-to-yellow line wiggling across it, with tiny faint pink dots scattered around. The line looks like a heart rate graph but much more irregular, with a particularly large dip on the right.
July 21, 2025 at 8:57 AM
cmundell.esa.int
Nice collection of big open physics questions for the coming years...
cplberry.bsky.social Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · Jul 15
Gravitational-wave detector updates at #GR24Amaldi16
ashtr0.bsky.social Ashwathi Nair @ashtr0.bsky.social · Jul 14
Favorite plots from the day, which were presented by Prof. Yuta Michimura. The plots summarized some key points on the technique for minimizing noise for different parts of the power spectrum.l, sensitivity evolution of LVK, and all the cool science that can be done by next gen detectors!
July 16, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
lisacommunity.bsky.social
This year it is 10 years since the discovery of #GravitationalWaves in 2015!

www.ligo.caltech.edu/video/ligo20...

@ligo.org @egovirgo.bsky.social
#GW150914
#GR24Amaldi16
A speaking giving a talk on a stage with slides projected behind them.
July 16, 2025 at 7:32 PM
cmundell.esa.int
What a wonderful evening, meeting old colleagues and new at the #GR24Amaldi16, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the first gravitational wave detection - how time flies and now we are constructing @science.esa.int #LISA for the coming decade to probe new scales of spacetime disturbances!
lisacommunity.bsky.social LISA Community @lisacommunity.bsky.social · Jul 16
Carole Mundell (@cmundell.bsky.social @esa.int ) is presenting a journey "From Earth to the Fabric of Spacetime" this evening at Glasgow SEC!
#GR24Amaldi16
Carole Mundell presenting - she is standing on a stage with slides behind her.
July 16, 2025 at 11:11 PM
cmundell.esa.int
Interesting study. How does your organisation stack up? Recognise all the work your staff contribute to the health of your organisation and ensure equity in contribution _and_ recognition for all. #Leadership
amydiehl.bsky.social Amy Diehl, Ph.D. @amydiehl.bsky.social · Jul 7
In a study of professors, women got 378 new work requests over 4 weeks vs 118 for men. Women spent more time on service, advising & teaching; men on research. Orgs should track who is taking extra duties & ensure they are rewarded and distributed fairly. www.forbes.com/sites/kimels...
Being Too Helpful At Work Can Hurt Your Career—Here’s How To Say No
Women are more likely to take on behind-the-scenes duties at work—extra tasks like onboarding or event planning—and it's hurting their careers. Here's how to say no.
www.forbes.com
July 7, 2025 at 8:08 PM
cmundell.esa.int
Congratulations to the five companies pre-selected for the @esa.int European Launcher Challenge! Exciting, innovative - a new era in access to space.
transport.esa.int ESA Space Transport @transport.esa.int · Jul 7
📣 We have news!

@esa.int has preselected five companies for the first stage of the European Launcher Challenge.

Keep scrolling to discover them (in alphabetical order)! ⬇️

www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...
European Launcher Challenge: preselected challengers unveiled
www.esa.int
July 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
es.esa.int
Nuestra misión Ariel nos llevará del «descubrimiento» al «estudio y comprensión» de los exoplanetas.

La misión estudiará unos 1.000 exoplanetas, desde planetas rocosos hasta gigantes gaseosos, para comprender mejor la relación entre los exoplanetas y sus estrellas progenitoras.
buff.ly/LlPBOTx
July 5, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
eurospacehistory.bsky.social
#OTD 4️⃣0️⃣ years ago: 2 July 1985, ESA's first deep-space probe #Giotto was launched from Europe's Spaceport. Giotto made encounters with comets #Halley and Grigg–Skjellerup, marking the beginning of Europe's cometary adventures️.

www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @cmundell.bsky.social @science.esa.int
Launch of Ariane 1, flight V14, from Europe's Spaceport on 2 July 1985, carrying ESA's Giotto comet-chasing spacecraft. Giotto spacecraft during integration in the Intespace facility in Toulouse, Shown on the experiment platform from right to left: camera (white, looking down), star mapper (red, looking up), EPA with its three very small telescopes, NMS (red plate), two hydrazine jets used for orbit and attitude control, liS of the JPA experiment and on the left edge HERS of the IMS experiment. The silver spheres on the main platform are two of the four hydrazine tanks.
July 2, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
science.esa.int
New from Mars Express! A riot of earthy tones – or should that be Mars tones? – on the Red Planet! 🎨
Can you spot the dust devils lurking within? 🌪️😈
Explore the image here 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
📷 @esa.int #MarsExpress
🔭🧪
A high-resolution, colour-enhanced satellite view of a Martian landscape. It features a dramatic boundary between two different surface regions. The upper left portion of the image is smoother and reddish, while the lower right displays rougher terrain with more craters and a prominent circular impact crater. There is a clear transition zone with jagged features and colour changes from red to grey to orange. A scale bar in the lower right corner indicates '20 km', providing context for the size of the features shown. The image is credited to ESA/DLR/FU Berlin in the lower left corner.
June 26, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
exploration.esa.int
🛰️ The #Ax4 mission and crew will arrive at the International Space Station tomorrow, Thursday 26 June, with docking scheduled for 12:00 BST / 13:00 CEST.

▶️ Follow the livestream on @esa.int YouTube starting at 10:00 BST / 11:00 CEST.

🔗 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
Watch live: Ignis launches into space
www.esa.int
June 25, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
exploration.esa.int
From Earth to orbit 🌍💫

The #Ax4 crew is now under way aboard the brand-new Dragon capsule 'Grace', en route to the International Space Station.

@astro-slawosz.bsky.social and the team are soaring through space on a 28,5-hour journey before docking with the Station.

Go #Ignis 🔥 Go #Ax4 🚀 @esa.int
Liftoff of Axiom Mission 4. Credits: ESA - S.Corvaja Liftoff of Axiom Mission 4. Credits: ESA - S.Corvaja Liftoff of Axiom Mission 4. Credits: ESA - S.Corvaja
June 25, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
sarahkendrew.bsky.social
Congratulations Poland!! 🇵🇱 I hope his journey inspires many young Polish people to look up and dream big 🚀
exploration.esa.int ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · Jun 25
First Polish @esa.int project astronaut launches to the International Space Station 🧑‍🚀🚀

#Ax4 with Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski lifted off at 07:31 BST / 08:31 CEST (02:31 local time), marking a historic moment for Poland and Europe in space.

Go #Ignis! 🔥 Next stop: Orbit.
June 25, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
science.esa.int
#TourTheUniverse with us! 🔭

Start from a vast cosmic panorama featuring some 14 million galaxies and zoom in until you reach a single swirling spiral galaxy.

The final image is enlarged 600 times compared to the 208-gigapixel mosaic.

All thanks to #ESAEuclid, our dark Universe detective 🕵️ 🧪
June 24, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Professor Carole Mundell
esa.int
ESA Delivers: discover 50 ways Europe’s space agency changed our world (and the Universe!) during the last five decades 👇

www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA...
Cover of ESA Delivers: 50 hallmark achievements across 50 years
June 24, 2025 at 2:15 PM
cmundell.esa.int
Oh, this is nice!
uofglasgow.bsky.social University of Glasgow @uofglasgow.bsky.social · Jun 24
Come along to the Gravitational Wave Ceilidh! 💃🕺

Researchers from @uofgphysastro.bsky.social are developing a Scottish country dance with @scienceceilidh.bsky.social inspired by gravitational waves, to be performed at #GR24Amaldi16.

You can join a public rehearsal at GUU on Monday 30 June!
The Gravitational Wave Ceilidh Preview and Talk
This event is a public talk about the project to create science inspired ceilidh dances followed by a public preview of the new dances.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
June 24, 2025 at 6:16 PM