Human spaceflight and robotic exploration future

ESA’s vision for human spaceflight and robotic exploration is part of humanity’s road to the stars. Exploring is about visiting new places and coming back with new experiences and knowledge to help us on Earth.

Our strategy includes three destinations where humans will work with robots to gather new knowledge: low-Earth orbit on the International Space Station, the Moon –our closest neighbour, and our third destination Mars.

The exploration programme includes Europe’s service module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft around the Moon, a landing on the Moon with Roscomos’Luna lander and ESA’s Exomars rover on Mars.

A deep-space gateway farther afield than the International Space Station is considered as a springboard for exploration beyond the Moon.