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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Test mirror module produced for the ESA’s silicon pore optics research project. Mirror plates are stacked up then two sets of stacks are co-aligned together to form a module in flight configuration. Hundreds of such modules would then be put together in order to form a ‘petal’. A total of eight carefully-shaped petals would serve to form the X-ray optics of the IXO candidate mission. An international consortium coordinated by cosine Research has so far demonstrated every step in the chain up to module assembly, with completed modules being put to the test in X-ray facilities.