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European Space Agency

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ESA > Our Missions

Our missions

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AeolusLaunch: 2018
Mapping Earth's global wind fields

AlphasatLaunched: 2013 Innovative satellite telecommunications platform

ARDLaunched: 1998
First European experimental reentry vehicle

ArianeFirst launch: 1979 Commercial launcher securing Europe’s non-dependent space access

ArtemisLaunched: 2001 Technology demonstration for telecommunications

AthenaLaunch: 2028
Probing the hot and energetic Universe

ATVLaunched: 2008, 2011, 2012
Space truck for ISS resupply

BepiColomboLaunch: 2018
Europe’s first mission to Mercury

BiomassLaunch: 2020
Measuring forest biomass

CheopsLaunch: 2018
Studying planets around other stars

ClusterLaunched: 1996 (failed), 2000
Space plasma physics in 3D

ColumbusLaunched: 2008 Europe’s ISS research laboratory

Cos-BLaunched: 1975 Gamma-ray astronomy

CryoSatLaunched: 2005 (failed), 2010 Measuring polar-ice thickness

EarthCARELaunch: 2019
Studying the roles of clouds and aerosols in our climate

ECS seriesLaunched: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988
Operational European telecommunications satellites

EDRSFirst launch: 2016
Geostationary satellites for relaying satellite data

ElectraFirst launch: 2021
Europe's first electric-propulsion telecom satellite

EnvisatLaunched: 2002
10-instrument environmental satellite

ERS-1 & -2Launched: 1991, 1995
Radar-based Earth observation

ESRO series Launched: 1967 (failed), 1968, 1969, 1972
Scientific exploration of space’s particle and radiation environment

EuclidLaunch: 2020
Charting dark matter and dark energy’s effects on the Universe

EurecaLaunched: 1992
Reusable free-flying microgravity testbed

European Robotic ArmLaunch: 2017
Robotic arm serving Russian segment of ISS

ExomarsLaunch: 2016, 2020
Mars orbiter and lander, followed by rover and surface platform

ExosatLaunched: 1983
X-ray astronomy

FlexLaunch: 2022
Global vegetation health

GaiaLaunched: 2013
Mission to map a billion local stars in 3D

GalileoFirst launch: 2011
Europe's global satellite navigation system

GEOS-1 & -2Launched: 1977, 1978
Probing dynamics of Earth’s magnetic field, waves and particles

GiottoLaunched: 1985
Intercepting Comet Halley and Comet Grigg–Skjellerup

Giove-a & bLaunched: 2005, 2008
Technology demonstration for Galileo

GOCELaunched: 2009
Mapping Earth's gravity

HEOS-1 & -2Launched: 1968 & 1972
Probing Earth's magnetic field and the interplanetary medium

HerschelLaunched: 2009
Far-infrared astronomy mission

HipparcosLaunched: 1989
Mapping the positions of more than 100 000 stars

Hubble Space TelescopeLaunched: 1990
ESA contributed solar arrays and Faint Object Camera

HuygensLaunched: 1997
Surface probe of Saturn’s moon Titan

Hylas-1Launched: 2010
Broadband services in public-private partnership

IntegralLaunched: 2002
Gamma-ray astronomy

ISEE-2Launched: 1977
Charting Sun–Earth relations and magnetic field

ISOLaunched: 1995
Infrared astronomy

IUELaunched: 1978
Ultraviolet astronomy

IXVLaunched: 2015
Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle

James Webb Space TelescopeLaunch: 2018
Contributing two instruments to the next great space observatory

JuiceLaunch: 2022
Europe's first mission to the Jupiter system

LISA PathfinderLaunched: 2015
Technology demonstration for gravitational wave detection

Marecs seriesLaunched: 1981, 1982 (failed), 1984
Maritime telecommunications satellites

Mars ExpressLaunched: 2003
Europe's first Red Planet orbiter

Meteosat seriesLaunched: 1977, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2012, 2015
Europe's weather satellites for daily forecasting

MetOp seriesLaunched: 2006, 2012
Polar meteorological services

MetOp-SG SeriesFirst launch: 2021
MetOp Second Generation

MSG seriesLaunched: 2002, 2005, 2012
Second-generation European meteorology satellites

MTG seriesFirst launch: 2021
Meteosat Third Generation

NeosatFirst launch: 2019
Next-generation telecom satellite platform

OlympusLaunched: 1989
Technology demonstration for telecommunications

OTS-1 & -2Launched: 1977 (failed), 1978
Demonstrating technologies for telecommunications

PlanckLaunched: 2009
Mapping the cosmic microwave background

PlatoLaunch: 2024
Hunting planets beyond our Solar System

Proba seriesLaunched: 2001, 2009, 2013
Technology demonstration microsatellites

QuantumFirst launch: 2018
The ‘chamaeleon’ telecom satellite

RosettaLaunched: 2004
Deep space comet rendezvous mission

SAT-AISFirst launch: 2018
Microsatellites for identifying and tracking ships

Sentinel familyFirst launch: 2014
A portfolio of operational Earth observation missions

SmallGEOFirst launch: 2017
New small platform for geostationary telecommunications

SMART-1Launched: 2003
Experimental Moon mission

SMOSLaunched: 2009
Measuring soil moisture and ocean salinity

SOHOLaunched: 1995
Continuous observation of the Sun

Solar OrbiterLaunch: 2018
Europe’s closest mission to the Sun

SpacelabFirst launched: 1983
Laboratory module for NASA’s Space Shuttle; 22 launches

SwarmLaunched: 2013
Trio of satellites mapping Earth’s magnetic field

TD-1Launched: 1972
UV, X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy

UlyssesLaunched: 1990
Charting space above and below the Sun’s poles

VegaFirst launch: 2012
Europe’s small satellite launcher

Venus ExpressLaunched: 2005
Europe’s first Venus orbiter

XMM-NewtonLaunched: 1999
X-ray astronomy