After 2 minutes of pure thrust (and 142 tonnes of solid propellant), the first stage of Vega-C, P120C, was turned off and left behind. Now the second stage takes over: Zefiro-40 will fire for 3 minutes, propelling the Smile farther away from Earth!

The launcher is complete, all systems are ready and the countdown is on! ⚡️ Flight #VA268 will take 32 Amazon Leo satellites from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana to low Earth orbit. Liftoff is set for 30 April 2026 between 09:08-09:57 BST/10:08-10:57 CEST.

AVUM+ just fired for the last time to ensure a safe deorbit and allowing Vega-C to adhere to the zero debris approach.

Ariane 6 just started to deploy the first of the 32 Amazon Leo satellites.

Weather looks good, Vega-C looks good and we are go for launch today! Join us at 04:30 BST / 05:30 CEST for the start of the live show. Liftoff planned for 04:52 / 05:52 CEST 🚀 watch.esa.int/two/

Liftoffs are rough. And payloads need to be protected. That's why ESA has renewed its contract with Lios, an Irish company that developed SoundBounce: a material to shield payloads from the noise and vibrations of liftoff. 🔇

SpaceForest launched its sounding rocket from Poland via a mobile ‘launch pad’. www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

🔊Vega-C rocket launched Smile mission this morning on a quest to reveal Earth’s invisible shield against the solar wind. 🚀Liftoff from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 04:52 BST / 05:52 CEST (00:52 local time) on 19 May 2026 www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

With the first Ariane 6 with four boosters, our fleet of rockets is complete 🚀 We will continue to work on upgrades to reduce costs, make our launch systems more robust and launch more often. For example, the powerful P160C rocket motor will replace P120C on both Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets.

Payloads delivered! 📦 The Auxiliary Propulsion Unit has worked non-stop during the separation of all 32 satellites.

Marians in Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦 😎 ♥️💃 🕺

Pro-Palestinian tourists call out ex-IOF Israeli soldiers in a restaurant in Vietnam after spotting one of their tattoos in the shape of Palestine and then continue to remind them of their genocidal behavior until they’re forced to leave.

Hezbollah Destroys Another Iron Dome Air Defence Battery It has taken out at least 4 so far along the border area, a major embarrassment to the Israeli military.

Emily Thornberry: "You really wanted Peter Mandelson to be the ambassador, didn't you?" Morgan McSweeney: "The UK was exposed after Brexit, we left the European Union without any U.S. trade deal."

Podcast: Did Nintendo underestimate Pokemon Pokopia? Join @jordanmiddler.bsky.social, @scully1888.bsky.social and Pete Donaldson as they chat about the week's gaming news. Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5eV... Listen: lnk.to/VGC Plus, Pokopia's biggest threat comes to Switch 2.

I have been here before, But when or how I cannot tell. Continuing through my 100% Playthrough of #ResidentEvilRequiem on stream today. Come hang out and say hi! twitch.tv/anakonistark

The latest war in the Middle East has far-reaching effects, including on countries ravaged by conflicts of their own. After three years of war in Sudan, a public health clinic in Qoz Nafisa village in Khartoum state is struggling to get medicine to thousands of patients.

The ghost tried to conduct a haunting orchestra at night But his hands were too weak to lift the baton right All he could manage was one piano key when the clock struck three #mondaymood #mondaymotivation #ghosts #spooky #poem #poetry #micropoetry #writer #music #vss365 #conduct #humor #aiart

Diesmal bei Kurz & Knapp: 💊 Entwicklung der Antibiotikaresistenzen 👉 rki.de/antibiotika 🫂 Neuer Bericht zur Pflege in Deutschland 👉 rki.de/pflegebericht 🦟 Und: Wie 2.929 Fotos von Zecken und Mücken der Forschung helfen 👉 rki.de/zemeki

"We were led to believe this was a nonpartisan event. We will no longer appear at Freedom 250!" #Freedom250

Special Weather Statement issued May 3 at 10:02PM EDT by NWS Upton NY late monday morning into early monday evening, the combination of drying fine fuels, southwest wind gusts between 25 and 30 mph, and relative humidity values between 25 and 35 (1/9)

#TriviaTime #WorldOfColor #TheBeatles #FYPViral

The New OpenAI GPT 5.5

"The Trump Presidency", directed by Quentin Tarantino

🎥Work is progressing on the largest restoration of Glasgow’s Sir Walter Scott Monument since it was first erected in George Square in 1837. Full story: www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news...

What is diVine? @rabble.nz, our founder and CEO, breaks it down in 6 seconds.

Mason County, far north, where the Ohio's pulling everything its way. #WestVirginia #MasonCounty #Waterloo #OhioRiver #northernWV #hamletnames #Appalachiangeography #WVplacenames

@mark-carney.bsky.social WTF 🤦‍♀️

Did you hear? Chuck Norris died today. Chuck Norris didn’t die. He roundhouse kicked the Grim Reaper and took his job. Others say, Chuck died 20 years ago, but Death didn’t have the nerve to tell him. RIP Chuck Norris. #chuck #norris #chucknorris #chucknorrisfacts #fypシ

In an interview with NY1’s @ErrolLouis.bsky.social, Mayor Zohran Mamdani laid out his “Block by Block” housing plan that he called the “most ambitious plan for affordable housing the city has ever seen.”

📣Closing out #NewsLiteracy Week, we want to note that disinformation, including AI-generated content, affects #AAPI communities who get their news in many different languages & across many social media platforms. YOU have the power to stop misinformation by looking at the FACTS!

Pretty colors I was going to share this on Instagram but this might be too much visual stimulation to be blindsided by full-screen portrait

Mike's spinning up Day 2 of our Donkey Kong 64 Anniversary Sub-A-Thon! www.twitch.tv/giantbomb www.youtube.com/watch?v=cARG... Subscribe to Premium this week, and you can extend his suffering, vote on a Blight Club game, and more! And uh, don't worry. He's becoming aware of The DK64 Suffering. 👇

#streetphotography #photojournalism coverage #nicholasmaduro #courtcase outside #courthouse atmosphere scenery 2 camps side over federal Plaza lower ManhattanNY capturing historic moment at play.

Share an iconic movie or TV house or building! 🖤

Let's go ahead and call this a positive week for America.

Chatbots helfen oder nerven nur Viele Bot Antworten wirken generisch bringt das wirklich Support Entlastung oder nur extra Frust. #customersupport #chatbot #ux

Life inside the crippled regiments of Putin’s army.

A professional line of credit is more than borrowing power. It’s financial flexibility when opportunity knocks or challenges appear unexpectedly. Smart businesses prepare before they need it.

Happy Friday, unless you are MAGA in US or Reform in the UK, in which case

SpaceX is seeking special exemptions from certain BEAD program requirements, arguing that they make participation in the program difficult for satellite providers. 👀 How will the expceptions impact the $42B program? 🔍 @keelyquinlan.bsky.social 📰➡️ statescoop.com/spacex-starl...

BATEMOS A META 😁💕🥳 Muito obrigado a todos que apoiaram, divulgaram e permitiram que isso acontecesse! Entramos na meta 2 pra garantir tiragem maior, então se você quiser sua cópia de "Tem um morcego bonito olhando para mim", aproveita lá! ❤️🦇🩸 www.benfeitoria.com/morcego #livros #literatura

Despite your disbelief that this is so. "You're Very Easy to Love" by Lyndsay Rush. #poetry #love

🤼🥋🥊🧵 Taking a break from early UFCs to bring you every finish from the 1995 World Combat Championships Vale dropped out so Renzo gets random bodybuilder and alleged wrestler Phil Benedict in the semis and you're not gonna believe this but this one doesn't go long.

The Walls of Jericho are locked in on top of the announce desk! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max

What if your dog’s “meat” stew… was 100% plant-based?
 💥WATCH watch.unchainedtv.com/unchainedtv-... 
Virtuous Vittles is just like meat—but it’s vegan, vet-formulated, & dogs LOVE it. 💥 WATCH the Truth Files on UNCHAINED.TV 👉🏽 Stream FREE shows — 
✅ GET the UNCHAINEDTV App for FREE!‼️

Hell yeah let’s breed these odds to their ends g.mino.mobi/garden/breed

Join us for a special #ChannelKindness Storytellers Club writing workshop on Thursday, May 29 at 7 PM ET, co-hosted by Willie Greene, founder of @wetheurban.bsky.social: a virtual sanctuary for Black creativity, mental health, and empowerment. RSVP: www.channelkindness.org/the-storytel...

3. Rosetta cerámica. www.instagram.com/rosetta__cer... Realiza en cerámica esta maravilla de interruptores y enchufes para la luz. Ya no tienes que esconderlos.

I am getting clearer closeups on video Edited this by sharpening to try and make the markings more visible. It looks like patterns I would expect to see on a much larger reptile, almost like scales (but not)

Make that 4 home victories against Minnesota 😏 #NEvMIN

Full chest routine, as requested. Gotta get that dragon chest amirite Feel free to ask for specific routines that you want to see!

Russia is trying to build an "Azov Ring" via highways R-280, E58 and E105, but key nodes remain vulnerable, especially supply lines to Crimea via Chonhar and Armyansk.

Meu deus essa festa virou um enterro kkkkkk A alegria CONTAGIANTE da plateia, pelo amor de deus kkkk Ninguém quer estar ali 😭😭😭 #Convocação

Boualem Sansal : «L’Islam reste très totalitaire», dans #LaGrandeInterview #cnews #sansal #ecrivain

Footy training/kickabout today! ⚽  2pm at La Mare Playing Fields. Bring suncream and plenty of water! It's looking like a scorcher 🌞 We might move the times to evenings now it's brighter and warmer!  Let us know if you have a preference (here or in the Whatsapp chat)

How Kendrick was while making "tv off"

Hurricane season is here. Make sure you're ready. Join the WDSU First Warning Weather Team TONIGHT at 6:30PM for our Get Ready Now Special. The information you need to prepare, protect your family, and stay ahead of the storm.

Danny Thommo (TR sidekick) tells Southampton rioters not to get arrested as UK far-right plans to build a "#PatriotPlatform" to "channel this energy into something they cannot dismiss or bury. We must connect, organise, and put thousands of boots on the ground, not just a few hundred in one city"

🇺🇦 🇷🇺 A Ukrainian strike killed at least three people in #Crimea, Moscow-installed authorities said on Thursday. This comes as new data shows #Ukraine recaptured more territory than it lost to Russian forces in May, for the second straight month. Watch for more ⤵️