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
Go to topicESA’s expertise from its Aeolus satellite programme helped the French company Leosphere to improve their instrument to maximise the amount of electricity from new wind turbines. The instrument can measure wind speed and direction from the ground up to heights of 200 metres. Developed during the company’s start-up phase at ESA’s Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, the instrument make use of the ‘lidar’ technology similar to that which ESA will use on its Aeolus satellite to provide global observations of wind profiles from space. More instruments based on the same technology have followed and these are now being used in more than 100 countries.