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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

This is ESA ESA facts Member States & Cooperating States Funding Director General Top management For Member State Delegations European vision European Space Policy ESA & EU Responsibility & Sustainability Corporate news Annual Report Calendar of meetings

Establishments & sites

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

Working with ESA

Business with ESA ESA Commercialisation Gateway Law at ESA Careers Security at ESA IT at ESA Media Partnerships Education Open Space Innovation Platform The ESA_Lab@ Initiative Integrity and whistleblowing Administrative Tribunal

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Latest

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Phantom Galaxy across the spectrum

Week in images: 29 August - 02 September 2022

Discover our week through the lens

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Story
Gamescom opening night
Agency

Game on at Gamescom

01/09/2022 880 views 50 likes
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Science & Exploration

Webb takes its first exoplanet image

01/09/2022 11782 views 244 likes
Webb takes its first exoplanet image
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Science & Exploration

Media briefing: Artemis I getting ready for launch

23/08/2022 3146 views 78 likes
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Press Release N° 30–2022
Agency

From the Earth to the Moon and on to Mars – ESA and NASA take decisions and plan for the future

The next steps in exploring and using space for the benefit of European citizens were this week on the agenda at ESA’s Council meeting in ESA/ESTEC, the Netherlands on 14 and 15 June. The possibility of the first-ever European astronaut to set foot on the Moon, a telecommunication satellite for lunar exploration and a mission to return precious rock samples from Mars were all discussed.
15/06/2022 5050 views
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Space in Member States

Find out more about space activities in our 22 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 Czech Republic Czech Republic Romania Romania United Kingdom United Kingdom 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

Samantha Cristoforetti
Alexander Gerst
Matthias Maurer
Andreas Mogensen
Luca Parmitano
Tim Peake
Thomas Pesquet

Missions

Webb Solar Orbiter Juice Cheops BepiColombo ExoMars Gaia More missions

Activities

International Space Station Orion service module Gateway Concordia Caves & Pangaea

Latest

Image
Science & Exploration

Webb takes its first exoplanet image

01/09/2022 11782 views 244 likes
Webb takes its first exoplanet image
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Story
Science & Exploration

Artemis I launch postponed

31/08/2022 12742 views 131 likes
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Science & Exploration

Euclid gains solar power and protection

01/06/2022 1976 views 79 likes
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Highlight
Science & Exploration

Live now: Lunch with the Moon

Lunar eclipse
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Press Release N° 13–2020
Science & Exploration

Call for Media: ESA to reveal first images from Solar Orbiter

First images from ESA’s Solar Orbiter to be revealed:The first images from ESA’s new Sun-observing spacecraft Solar Orbiter will be released to the public on 16 July 2020. Media representatives are invited to watch an online press briefing, which will take place at 14:00 CEST (13:00 BST), and talk to the scientists behind the mission.
09/07/2020 12966 views
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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 Plans for the future

Asteroids

About 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 cleansat Space for Earth Supporting Sustainable Development

Space weather

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

Latest

Story
DART impacting Dimorphos
Space Safety

After NASA’s asteroid impact, ESA’s Hera comes next

01/09/2022 9064 views 69 likes
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Space Safety

ESA’s Izaña-1 laser ranging station

07/07/2022 442 views 4 likes
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Space Safety

When the Sun strikes

25/03/2022 1098 views 21 likes
Solar Orbiter's stellar views hint at Vigil's future
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Asteroid Day Live airs on 30 June from 18:00 CEST
Space Safety

Asteroid Day Live airs 30 June

Asteroid Day Live airs 30 June

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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

Telecommunications

Telecommunications & Integrated Applications ARTES Core Competitiveness Partnership Projects ESA Space Solutions

Satellite navigation

Navigation Galileo and EGNOS NAVISP GNSS Evolution

Commercialisation

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

Latest

Story
Galileo satellites
Applications

Latest Galileo satellites join constellation with enhanced,…

01/09/2022 2667 views 57 likes
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Applications

Tenoumer Crater, Mauritania

30/06/2022 4539 views 127 likes
Deep within the Sahara Desert lies one of the best-preserved craters on Earth. On Asteroid Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the almost-perfectly circular Tenoumer Crater in Mauritania.
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ESA Φ-week 2021
Applications

Register for Φ-week

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Applications

Earth from Space: Sardinia

22/01/2021 14285 views 213 likes
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Press Release N° 9–2020
Applications

Call for Media: Rapid action in response to coronavirus with Earth observation

ESA and the European Commission invite media representatives to follow an online event on 5 June at 11:00 CEST where they will present the ‘Rapid Action Coronavirus Earth observation’ dashboard, also known as RACE. The RACE platform provides access to key environmental, economic and social indicators to measure the impact of the coronavirus lockdown and monitor post-lockdown recovery.
29/05/2020 6129 views
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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 Previous launches

Flying missions

Operations ESA ground stations Proba-3 Technology CubeSats

Latest

Story
Vega-C VV21 liftoff 13 July 2022, Europe's Spaceport French Guiana
Enabling & Support

Behind the photo: Vega-C inaugural liftoff

02/09/2022 242 views 4 likes
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Enabling & Support

Keeping space centre’s cool

10/08/2022 1025 views 45 likes
Keeping space centre’s cool
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The Ariane 6 launch complex is a marvel of engineering. Take a tour at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Enabling & Support

Welcome to the Ariane 6 launch complex

19/10/2021 2863 views 18 likes
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ESA Open Day on Web TV
Enabling & Support

ESA Open Day on Web TV

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