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About ESA

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.

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ESA - United space in Europe

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ESA Headquarters ESA ESTEC ESA ESOC ESA ESRIN ESA EAC ESA ESAC Europe's Spaceport ESA ESEC ESA ECSAT Brussels Office Washington Office

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Latest

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Titan (Webb image - 11 July 2023)

Week in images: 12-16 May 2025

Discover our week through the lens

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Applications

Earth from Space: Svalbard Archipelago

16/05/2025 1197 views 37 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission brings us this cloud-free view of Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
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Story
Junior Professional Programme 2025
Agency

Apply now to ESA's Junior Professional Programme: your port…

15/05/2025 8762 views 23 likes
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Agency

Exoplanets explained by Nobel Prize winner (part 1) | The 5…

02/05/2025 1480 views 34 likes
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Press Release N° 24–2024
Science & Exploration

ESA and NASA join forces to land Europe’s rover on Mars

ESA and NASA are consolidating their cooperation on the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission with an agreement that ensures important US contributions, such as the launch service, elements of the propulsion system needed for landing on Mars and heater units for the Rosalind Franklin rover.
16/05/2024 4735 views
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Space in Member States

Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.

Germany Germany Austria Austria Belgium Belgium Denmark Denmark Spain Spain Estonia Estonia Finland Finland France France Greece Greece Hungary Hungary Ireland Ireland Italy Italy Luxembourg Luxembourg Norway Norway The Netherlands The Netherlands Poland Poland Portugal Portugal Czechia Czechia Romania Romania United Kingdom United Kingdom Slovenia Slovenia Sweden Sweden Switzerland Switzerland

Science & Exploration

Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe

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Programmes

Space Science Human and Robotic Exploration

Astronauts

Sophie Adenot
Pablo Álvarez Fernández
Rosemary Coogan
Samantha Cristoforetti
Alexander Gerst
Raphaël Liégeois
Matthias Maurer
Andreas Mogensen
Luca Parmitano
Thomas Pesquet
Marco Sieber

Missions

Juice Euclid Webb Solar Orbiter BepiColombo Gaia ExoMars Cheops Exoplanet missions More missions

Activities

International Space Station Orion service module Gateway Concordia Caves & Pangaea Benefits

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Science & Exploration

Orion on the move

14/05/2025 420 views 27 likes
On 3 May, the fully assembled Orion spacecraft for Artemis II began its journey to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft is shown in transport, with its protective fairing panels clearly visible and proudly bearing the ESA and NASA logos.
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Titan (Webb image - 11 July 2023)
Science & Exploration

Titan forecast: partly cloudy with a chance of methane show…

14/05/2025 1269 views 37 likes
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Science & Exploration

Gaia: Rewriting the story of the Milky Way

28/03/2025 3503 views 72 likes
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Press Release N° 49–2024
Science & Exploration

ESA 3D prints first metal part on the International Space Station

The first metal 3D printer in space, a collaboration between ESA and Airbus, has printed its first metal product on the International Space Station, a breakthrough in crew autonomy for future long-duration exploration missions.
06/09/2024 3577 views
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Science & Exploration

Space science from home: resources for children and adults

A selection of activities to pass time and learn more about space science

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Space Safety

Protecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit

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About safety and security

Protecting our Pale Blue Dot The story so far Space Safety at ESA

Asteroids

Asteroids and Planetary Defence Asteroid danger explained Flyeye telescope: asteroid detection Hera mission: asteroid deflection Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre

Space junk

About space debris Space debris by the numbers Space Environment Report In space refuelling, refurbishing and removing

Safety from space

Clean Space ecodesign Zero Debris Technologies Space for Earth Supporting Sustainable Development

Space weather

Solar Hazards ESA Vigil: providing solar warning Space Weather Warning Network

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Space Safety
Space Safety

Space Safety Programme at 2025 Ministerial Council

08/05/2025 329 views 0 likes
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Space Safety

Close approach of asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8

08/05/2025 1192 views 18 likes
Close approach of asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8
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Space Safety

Media briefing: Europe's top experts address the growing th…

01/04/2025 641 views 6 likes
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Space Safety

James Webb Space Telescope will study asteroid 2024 YR4

Webb will provide a more accurate estimate of the asteroid's size

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Applications

Using space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth

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Observing the Earth

Observing the Earth Future EO Copernicus Meteorology Space for our climate Satellite missions

Connectivity

Connectivity and Secure Communications ARTES Moonlight Civil security from space

Satellite navigation

Satellite navigation Galileo EGNOS NAVISP Genesis LEO-PNT

Commercialisation

ESA Commercialisation Gateway Open Space Innovation Platform Business Incubation ESA Space Solutions

Latest

Image
Applications

Earth from Space: Svalbard Archipelago

16/05/2025 1197 views 37 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission brings us this cloud-free view of Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
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Story
Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellite
Applications

Thank you for your service, Galileo GSAT0104

13/05/2025 3156 views 50 likes
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Applications

ESA’s Space Systems for Safety and Security (4S) programme

20/11/2024 2175 views 22 likes
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Press Release N° 1–2024
Applications

Media invitation: Last chance to see the EarthCARE cloud and aerosol satellite in Europe

On 1 February, media representatives have the unique opportunity of seeing  the EarthCARE satellite up close in the cleanroom at Airbus facilities in Friedrichshafen, Germany, before the spacecraft is packed up and shipped to California, USA, for a launch scheduled in May.
11/01/2024 4201 views
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ESA Φ-week 2021
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Register for Φ-week

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Enabling & Support

Making space accessible and developing the technologies for the future

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Building missions

Space Engineering and Technology Test centre Laboratories Concurrent Design Facility Preparing for the future Shaping the Future Discovery and Preparation Advanced Concepts Team

Space transportation

Space Transportation Ariane Vega Space Rider Future space transportation Boost! Europe's Spaceport Launches from Europe's Spaceport from 2012

Flying missions

Operations ESA ground stations Ground Systems Engineering

Latest

Story
YPSat-2 Team at ESTEC during the Young Professionals Event 2024
Enabling & Support

The Team behind YPSat-2

16/05/2025 362 views 4 likes
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Enabling & Support

Plato’s dialogue

13/05/2025 471 views 17 likes
Plato’s dialogue
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Enabling & Support

Proba-3 lift-off replay

05/12/2024 3413 views 64 likes
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Juice approaches Earth
Enabling & Support

Blog: Juice's lunar-Earth flyby

Follow for the latest updates as ESA's Jupiter mission swings through the Earth system this summer

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Press Release N° 8–2024
Enabling & Support

Call for interest: Ariane 6 launch media events at Europe’s Spaceport

Media representatives are invited to express their interest in attending media events at Europe's Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, for the first flight of Europe's new rocket Ariane 6. Journalists wishing to participate in either or both the pre-launch and launch media programmes detailed below, are asked to submit their application via ESA’s media accreditation page by Friday 1 March 2024.
19/02/2024 2512 views
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EUROBOT Testbed at ESTEC
Enabling & Support

The EUROBOT Testbed

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ESA / Enabling & Support / Space Engineering & Technology / Automation and Robotics

The Testbed has been developed in order to support the EUROBOT project. Its purpose is to demonstrate some of the operational capabilities of EUROBOT and to showcase some of the technology developed by the Automation and Robotics Section for EUROBOT

Uses

The testbed functions as:

  • Demonstrator of the operational capabilities of EUROBOT;
    • Autonomous locomotion on ISS modules: the robot system is capable to walk on sections of real-scale modules of the ISS using handrails
    • Dexterous manipulation of ISS hardware: an operator, equipped with some human-machine interface, can command the robot to perform highly dexterous handling of objects
  • Development and integration environment for some of the technologies used in EUROBOT such as:
    • The ESA Exoskeleton
    • The CONTEXT robot controller
    • The VIMANCO Vision Based Robot control software
    • The DEXARM robot arm
    • The CTED tool exchange device
    • The A-DREAMS robot control station

A general demostrator for Robot operational modes

Telemanipulation with the use of the ESA Exoskeleton
Telemanipulation with the use of the ESA Exoskeleton

The testbed can demonstrate the 2 general operational modes developed by ESA for servicing robots:

  • Interactive Autonomy and
  • Haptic Telemanipulation 

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VIMANCO Monocular Tracking of APFR
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Vision manipulation of non-cooperative objects

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DexArm joint prototype selected for continued development
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Dextrous robot arm

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Compact tool exchange device

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CONTEXT

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A-DREAMS advanced robotics ground control station

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The ESA Exoskeleton
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The ESA Exoskeleton

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