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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ESA astronauts Frank De Winne (centre) and Andre Kuipers (right) are instructed how to perform the checkout of the Flywheel Exercise Device (instructor: Frank Salmen) during astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. De Winne is scheduled to take part in a long-duration mission to the ISS between May and November 2009. Kuipers is assigned as his back-up. The Flywheel Exercise Device was launched to the ISS in February 2008 in order to serve human physiology investigations in the area of countermeasures and potentially become a contingency exercise device for ISS astronauts.