Copernicus Sentinel-1 data are highlighting the collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam in the southeastern province of Attapeu in Laos. The collapse has led to flash floods that have claimed several lives and left many more people missing, according to local news reports.

The launch of Aeolus — ESA’s mission to map Earth’s wind in real-time — is getting tantalisingly close, with the satellite due for lift-off on 21 August from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Following months of tests and careful evaluation, the first data on air pollutants from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite have been released. These first maps show a range of trace gases that affect air quality such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone.