The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The S5 Payload Processing Facility of the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's space port. This ultramodern complex, inaugurated in 2001, was designed to enable pre-launch campaigns of four large communication satellites in parallel with 3,000 sq.meters of clean rooms. This facility is also able to handle processing of very large platforms such as ESA's Envisat polar platform or the 20-ton Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) for resupply and reboost missions to the International Space Station.