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Nestled in the centre of an electronic circuit board lies a miniature black chip. Tiny but mighty, this microchip can steer radio beams – a capability essential for the development of phased array antennas.

While traditional antennas rely on mechanical tilting to maintain contact with their target, phased array antennas enable satellites and ground terminals to communicate without any moving parts.

Instead of mechanically rotating the antenna dish, specialised microchips at the heart of phased array antennas steer radio beams electronically by precisely controlling the signal’s phase and amplitude through a process called beamforming.

With the advent of modern silicon semiconductor technologies, these microchips – known as beamforming integrated circuits – became smaller, which in turn made phased array antennas more compact, reliable and affordable enough for widespread use in applications ranging from satellite communications and navigation to Earth observation and space missions.

“For decades, ESA has been at the forefront of beamforming technology, exploring innovative ways to electronically steer radio beams for space and terrestrial applications,” says Václav Valenta, ESA’s engineer and phased array expert.

“Today, the focus is increasingly shifting towards highly integrated analogue and digital beamforming chips both designed and manufactured in Europe. These developments combine cutting-edge performance with the strategic advantage of a secure European supply chain.”

In a recent technology demonstration at ESA’s RF Active Technology Laboratory at ESTEC, the French company Asygn presented their new generation of beamforming integrated circuits.

To highlight the level of control Asygn’s microchip has over beamforming, the company engineers have presented a visually striking addition to their showcase: the blue-and-white ESA logo composed of hundreds of dots, each individually positioned through a specific amplitude and phase setting of the beamformer.

“By designing single-chip solutions dedicated to specific frequency bands – notably X and Ka – we achieve the very high levels of performance required for mission-critical satellite communication applications,” adds Clement Jany, Radio Frequency business unit co-director at Asygn. “Our objective is to simplify system integration for phased array antenna manufacturers by delivering high-precision phase and amplitude control and an ultra-low noise figure on a single chip.”

[Image description: A close-up photograph of a square electronic test board connected to multiple black and yellow cables through gold-coloured connectors. Fine gold lines spread from a microchip in the centre across the dark surface of the board. In the background, laboratory test equipment is visible, with a blurred monitor displaying the blue-and-white ESA logo.]

Credits: ESA - SJM Photography

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

This view of Xingu Indigenous Park and surrounding area, in the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil, shows the above-ground biomass (AGB) increases and decreases between 2005 and 2024 (right). Biomass information is derived from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative Biomass initiative. Disturbance and regrowth information was interpreted from the Joint Research Council Tropical Moist Forest product (JRC-TMF).

Areas with decreased above-ground biomass (shown in red) have lost organic matter such as tree branches, trunks and vegetation, through processes such as wildfires or selective logging, thereby releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Area showing loss of biomass are circled near the centre and at the top-right of the image.

Areas with increased above-ground biomass (shown in yellow) have, on the other hand, undergone regrowth and regeneration, thereby capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it within organic material. One area with notable biomass increase is circled on the far-right of the image.

At the top-left of the image, there is an area of undisturbed forest with natural above-ground biomass fluctuations.

The Xingu Indigenous Park is indigenous territory in the Brazilian Amazon. It was first created in 1961 as a national park to protect the environment and Xingu Indigenous peoples in the area.

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Credits: ESA (data sources: Copernicus Sentinel-2; Heinrich et al, 2026).

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

This view of Xingu Indigenous Park and surrounding area, in the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil, shows the above-ground biomass (AGB) increases and decreases between 2005 and 2024 (right). Biomass information is derived from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative Biomass initiative. Disturbance and regrowth information was interpreted from the Joint Research Council Tropical Moist Forest product (JRC-TMF).

Areas with decreased above-ground biomass (shown in red) have lost organic matter such as tree branches, trunks and vegetation, through processes such as wildfires or selective logging, thereby releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Area showing loss of biomass are circled near the centre and at the top-right of the image.

Areas with increased above-ground biomass (shown in yellow) have, on the other hand, undergone regrowth and regeneration, thereby capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it within organic material. One area with notable biomass increase is circled on the far-right of the image.

At the top-left of the image, there is an area of undisturbed forest with natural above-ground biomass fluctuations.

The Xingu Indigenous Park is indigenous territory in the Brazilian Amazon. It was first created in 1961 as a national park to protect the environment and Xingu Indigenous peoples in the area.

Read full story

Credits: ESA (data sources: Copernicus Sentinel-2; Heinrich et al, 2026).

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

Image of the Perito Moreno National Park in Argentina captured by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot from the International Space Station.

Follow Sophie’s mission on the εpsilon page and on her social media platforms, such as X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Credits: ESA/NASA – S. Adenot

europeanspaceagency posted a photo:

This picture was published as part of a set on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, with the following caption:

Day 157, orbit 2435 — The Moon has forever inspired, comforted and sparked curiosity. Fifty-seven years ago, the Apollo 11 crew took humanity's first steps on its surface. As we prepare to return and build a sustainable presence on its surface, the Moon is becoming the stepping stone for humanity's next great adventures in space. Go Artemis!

Follow Sophie’s mission on the εpsilon page and on her social media platforms, such as X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Credits: ESA/NASA – S. Adenot

Danny Boyle’s drama about the acquisition of The Sun and a four-hour Elon Musk documentary will premiere alongside new films from Martin McDonagh and Werner Herzog – but only one female director has a movie in competition

The Venice film festival promises to take a swing at media moguls of the print and digital era this year, with Trainspotting director Danny Boyle’s new film about Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of the Sun and a new documentary about Elon Musk included in the lineup of the films for the festival’s 83rd edition.

In Boyle’s Ink, which will open the festival on the Lido on 2 September, Australian actor Guy Pearce plays compatriot newspaper tycoon Murdoch, whose purchase of the Sun in 1969 sensationalised the media landscape and transformed public life in Britain. The script is written by Olivier award-winning playwright and screenwriter James Graham (Dear England, Brexit: The Uncivil War).

Seven-year-old family member reportedly on life support in hospital after accident during holiday visit to West Mersea

The teenage girl and woman who died after getting into difficulty in the waters off an Essex beach have been named.

Family members identified the pair as Shalina Rahman, a 42-year-old British-Bangladeshi teacher who is married to a Bangladeshi politician, and her 15-year-old daughter, Sameeha. A seven-year-old family member was also said to be on life support in a hospital in London after the incident.

New PM says no prisoners will be released under the policy until there is an urgent review of scheme

Kemi Badenoch is speaking in central London at the moment and is expected to say that Andy Burnham is “still thinking like the mayor of Manchester”.

“Going by what he’s announced so far, Andy Burnham’s ambitions for Britain are too small,” she was expected to say.

My message to British businesses is quite simple: to British businesses, to British innovators, to British investors: I will back you as your Chancellor, and I’ll back you in financial services, in technology, in retail, in industry, in all parts of the economy.

I’m just as concerned about the cost of business as I am about the cost of living.

Probation union and crime victims had raised doubts over plan to free 6,000 offenders across England and Wales

Andy Burnham has paused an early release scheme for 6,000 prisoners that was due to start in September after an outcry from crime victims.

The prime minister said an “urgent review” will aim to “minimise risk to the public” amid concerns that killers, rapists and sex abusers would be freed on tags.

• Italy have failed to qualify for last three World Cups

• Guardiola is out of work while Ancelotti is still with Brazil

The Italian football federation (FIGC) has talked to Pep Guardiola, the former Manchester City coach, and Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazil manager, about taking over the crisis-hit national team.

It hopes to announce the new Italy coach within the week, with the Azzurri still reeling after failing for a third straight time to qualify for the World Cup.

Resolution, which comes after similar one in June, is largely symbolic, as Trump administration says it’s unconstitutional

• US politics live – latest updates

The US House of Representatives on Thursday for the second time passed a war powers resolution directing Donald Trump to withdraw the US military from the conflict with Iran, amid renewed fighting in the Middle East that has driven oil prices to their highest levels in weeks.

The resolution proposed by Democrat Pramila Jayapal passed by a 214-208 vote, with four Republicans joining all Democrats in attendance to vote in favor.

The Guardian’s parliamentary sketch writer imagines Nigel Farage’s right-hand man’s thinking behind his book, How to Launder Money

Anti-money-laundering laws are supposed to stop the illicit flow of money. So far, they seem to have stopped next to nothing. About 5% of the global economy is illicit and only 0.05% is stopped by AML laws.

Which makes me, George, something of a rarity. The idiot member of the 1% who actually got done for conspiring to launder money. Just think, while 99% of criminals were getting away with it, I had the bright idea of telling an audience of undercover members of the US Inland Revenue Service in Las Vegas how I could clean up their drug money for them. Much to my surprise, they didn’t take me up on my offer. I was arrested on money-laundering charges at Chicago airport. Still, I did a plea bargain and the charges were reduced to wire fraud and I did eight months in prison. So no harm done.

FRANKFURT (ANP) - De Europese Centrale Bank (ECB) heeft donderdag de tien mogelijke ontwerpen voor het nieuwe eurobiljet gepresenteerd. Europeanen wordt nu gevraagd hun mening te geven over de verschillende opties. De raad van bestuur van de ECB neemt aan het eind van dit jaar een definitief besluit over het nieuwe ontwerp. De nieuwe eurobiljetten komen in de jaren daarna in omloop.

Eerder werden al de twee mogelijke thema's gekozen voor het nieuwe eurobiljet. Die thema's zijn Europese cultuur en rivieren en vogels. Ook werd al bepaald wat bij beide thema's op ieder biljet verschijnt. Bij Europese cultuur prijkt componist Ludwig van Beethoven op het 10 eurobiljet. Voor het thema rivieren en vogels is dat een ijsvogel bij een waterval of een rivierpoel. Van die beide motieven zijn nu vijf ontwerpen gepresenteerd.

Meer dan 1200 grafische ontwerpers meldden zich aan, van wie er 25 werden gevraagd om een ontwerp te maken voor een of beide thema's. Een jury bestaande uit experts heeft vervolgens tien ontwerpen geselecteerd.

An online edition of all 85 of the Federalist Papers, presented as they were originally serialized in newspapers, with on eye on good typography and readability.

A little over a month ago, the former American Idol contestant, country musician, and Instagram influencer Noah Orion appears to have learned about the surveillance company Flock. “Cities are now covering Flock cameras with trash bags,” Orion narrated over an Instagram post aggregating a 404 Media report. “It’s also pretty wild that we’ve just dropped stickers that say ‘Fuck Flock’ on them and it’s pretty cool that it’s coincidental that the sticker’s outside diameter is the same size as the average camera lens on a Flock camera,” he adds, showing a mockup of an AI-generated sticker featuring a surveillance camera that is not a Flock camera.

Orion had never posted on Instagram about Flock before then. But, since that post, Orion has posted dozens of reels about Flock, apparently at great personal risk to himself. A July 8 post features an image of a printed out “CEASE AND DESIST” letter purportedly sent to Orion by Dan Haley, Flock’s head of legal affairs. “It has come to the attention of Flock Group Inc. that you have engaged in conduct involving the unauthorized dissemination of photographs, videos, memes, screenshots, or other visual materials in a manner that encourages your fans to claim and place stickers that constitute a rude and unusual manner towards our company and association. You are hereby instructed to immediately cease and desist from any further use of such materials […] any further demeaning actions or posts will result in legal action. Failure to comply with this demand may result in Flock Group inc. [sic] to persecute you and your organization to the fullest extent of the law.” 

The post has 73,000 likes and has been viewed millions of times. Since that post, Orion has posted the same letter 16 separate times on Instagram, and is now posting about almost nothing besides Flock. On Tuesday, he posted a reel stating “I could go to jail soon, and I am not afraid of that. I am pushing a movement against Flock cameras.” In that video, he said he’s starting a “bail fund” in case he’s arrested and goes to jail. Collectively, these posts and videos have hundreds of thousands of likes and millions of views. 

But the cease-and-desist is not real; it is a wholesale fabrication created by the influencer for attention, likes, and clout. He is at zero risk of persecution or arrest for speaking out about Flock (though he may be at risk for forging a fake cease-and-desist letter.) In the meantime, Orion has gotten more than 30,000 new followers in the last month according to the Instagram tracking website NotJustAnalytics, a period in which he has posted essentially only about Flock and, primarily, about his stickers and his cease-and-desist letter. 

This constant focus on his apparent legal trouble is a relatively typical pattern for Orion; before Flock, he was posting endlessly about how his modified bus with massive speakers was going to be impounded by the authorities. Before that, he was talking about how he was going to be evicted from the space in which he modified the bus.

Over the last few months, we have seen the rise of various anti-Flock influencers and activists, and increased scrutiny from journalists, YouTubers, and independent researchers. Content about Flock has become quite popular on social media, and the vast majority of posts are from well-meaning people who are amplifying real reporting and real — if occasionally exaggerated or slightly misconstrued — information about one of the most invasive mass surveillance companies in the country. Alongside this has come lots of viral posts that either slightly misunderstand or oversell what Flock is doing or is capable of, or get, for example, the exact mechanics of how ICE may obtain Flock data wrong. 

On balance, most of these posts are at least directionally correct. There is room in the movement against mass surveillance for hyperbole, satire, comedy, stunts, and misunderstandings done by well-meaning people, especially if there is a broader point.

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A post shared by Noah (@noahorion42)

That is not what Orion and some of his copycats are doing, however. Most charitably, Orion is making people aware of Flock and could be making people more likely to do more research into the company or is making them more likely to take political or direct action to prevent surveillance. He’s a bro spreading the word, and perhaps his heart is in the right place. But, basically, he is making shit up to make himself and his country music career more famous by creating and sowing disinformation in a space where there are dozens of journalists and influencers working hard for more transparency, and positioning himself as being somehow at legal or criminal risk when people who are doing actual needle-moving work struggle to stand out or are actually being threatened. On every post, Orion tries to give away stickers and tells people to comment “Fuck Flock” in order to get them. This is a tactic to game the Instagram algorithm with engagement; Orion has set up a bot to automatically message anyone who comments on his posts with links to his online store which has a variety of free stickers, paid merch, and a “bail fund in case I go to jail.” 

Flock and its lawyers have sent real cease-and-desist letters or otherwise threatened the creators of both DeFlock, an open-source project to map Flock cameras, and HaveIBeenFlocked, a database of Flock searches done by cops around the country. Alongside reporting by 404 Media and local journalists, DeFlock has led directly to the massive, decentralized, grassroots movement of residents in small towns and big cities pressuring their city councils to end their Flock contracts. Activists and journalists using HaveIBeenFlocked have uncovered numerous cases of police abuse and ICE surveillance that has led directly to firings and arrests, policy changes, and canceled contracts. The strategies deployed by Flock against these sites are far more sophisticated and scary than the obviously bullshit cease-and-desist letter fabricated by Orion. 

Flock went after Cris van Pelt, the creator of HaveIBeenFlocked, by repeatedly trying to get his web hosting revoked by its provider by claiming the site both violated the company’s intellectual property rights and by saying that the site “poses an immediate threat to public safety and exposes law enforcement officers to danger.” Flock directly warned police about this website, which led different divisions of the FBI to warn law enforcement about the site, squarely putting a target on the site. Through a third-party law firm, Flock separately threatened DeFlock by sending a cease-and-desist to Will Freeman, the creator of the site. To fend off that cease-and-desist, Freeman had to get representation from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Flock’s CEO, Garrett Langley, called DeFlock a “terroristic organization” in an on-camera interview with Forbes. After that interview repeatedly went viral, Langley finally apologized in a second interview with Forbes earlier this month. These are actual threats, against people actually doing the work.

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A post shared by Noah (@noahorion42)

It is hard to see how Orion shouting nonsense into a camera to his 800,000 followers benefits anyone but himself; after his first few viral posts, various other Instagram accounts began posting fake Flock cease-and-desist letters to promote, for example, “The Saturday Salon,” an event series in Orange County, California that largely promotes its events via AI-generated posters (Saturday Salon also created a fake Palantir cease-and-desist in January). 

Benn Jordan, a researcher and YouTuber who has uncovered various Flock security flaws and has become one of the most important voices speaking out against Flock, made a video about Orion’s fake cease-and-desists in which he said “Can y'all just eat Tide Pods or something and stop making this fight even harder than it already is?”

“If you get sued for doing this, I have absolutely no sympathy for you, because if somebody made a fake cease-and-desist or lawsuit letter from me and forged my name and posted it online for attention making me look bad, I would sue the fuck out of them,” Jordan said. “More importantly, Flock frames me like Jake Paul, like a hyperbolic YouTuber who’s just doing magic tricks and making things up to make the company look bad for my own personal gain, and by doing so, they’re able to squash and make it seem risky to read real reports about security vulnerabilities, or Fourth Amendment right violations. And I can guaran-fuckin-tee you that they will use these fake letters as an example to lump in with actual, meaningful critical research about police surveillance.”

Haley, Flock’s chief legal officer, told me in a LinkedIn message that “of course they are fake.” Haley added via a spokesperson that “We’re aware of at least two forged letters circulating on the internet, including this one [referring to Orion’s], that purport to be cease-and-desist letters from our legal department. To be clear: these letters did not come from me or from anyone at Flock. Flock welcomes and encourages public debate about our technology. We have not and would not seek to discourage, prevent, or prohibit such discussion and debate. In fact, we would be happy to participate in any such discussions the group in question might host in the future."

Orion did not respond to an Instagram message I sent him asking about the fake cease-and-desist letter.

Het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken scherpte deze week het reisadvies voor landen in het Midden-Oosten aan. Voor reizigers die eventueel stranden maakt het veel uit of ze zelf hebben geboekt of een pakketreis via een organisatie.