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 Ariane 5 rocket is approaching readiness for its final liftoff scheduled for 16 June, with the protective fairing being positioned around the two payloads it will orbit on flight VA261: DLR’s Heinrich Hertz and France's Syracuse 4b.
VA261 marks the 117th outing for Ariane 5, a series which began in 1996 and carried to space a long series of commercial and scientific missions. Notable payloads include ESA’s comet-chasing Rosetta, a dozen of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites – orbited with just three launches – and the James Webb Space Telescope. Ariane 5’s next-to-last lift-off launched ESA’s Juice mission to Jupiter on 14 April 2023.