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.

Highlights

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ESA - United space in Europe

What is ESA Member States & Cooperating States Funding Director General DG Blog Top management For Member State Delegations European vision European Space Policy ESA & EU Corporate news

Establishments & sites

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

Working with ESA

Business with ESA Law at ESA Careers Security at ESA IT at ESA Media Partnerships Education Downstream Gateway Open Space Innovation Platform

More about ESA

History Exhibitions Publications Art & Culture ESA Shop Kids Diversity

Latest

Story
Distribution of space debris around Earth
Safety & Security

Automating collision avoidance

22/10/2019 630 views 21 likes
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Science & Exploration

From ‘cavewalking’ to spacewalking

22/10/2019 225 views 2 likes
From ‘cavewalking’ to spacewalking
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Mission
Science & Exploration

Solar Orbiter

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Applications

Earth from Space: Korean Peninsula

18/10/2019 1413 views 23 likes
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Press Release N° 16–2019
Agency

Talking space with the next generation in Europe

As World Space Week (4-10 October) approaches, ESA invites the next generation of space professionals to give their opinions about the future of space.
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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.

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

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

Cheops BepiColombo ExoMars Gaia Rosetta More missions

Activities

International Space Station Orion service module Gateway Concordia Caves & Pangea

Latest

Image
Science & Exploration

Space Resources Week participants

22/10/2019 38 views 1 likes
Space Resources Week participants
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Story
The Moon as a spaceport to the Universe
Science & Exploration

New era of locally-sourced resources in space

22/10/2019 561 views 17 likes
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Taking photos of BioRock
Science & Exploration

Research

Research

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Science & Exploration

Solar Orbiter's journey around the Sun

17/10/2019 1204 views 24 likes
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Press Release N° 19–2018
Science & Exploration

New satellite launch extends Galileo’s global reach

Four more Galileo satellites were launched today by an Ariane 5. Their arrival in orbit brings the Galileo constellation to 26 satellites, extending the global coverage of the constellation. Ariane 5 flight VA244, operated by Arianespace under contract to ESA, lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 11:25 GMT (13:25 CEST, 08:25 local time), carrying Galileo satellites 23–26. The first pair of 715 kg satellites was released almost 3 hours 36 minutes after liftoff, while the second pair separated 20 minutes later.
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Safety & Security

Monitoring space and protecting our planetary environment

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About safety and security

Protecting our Pale Blue Dot The story so far Plans for the future

Asteroids

Risky asteroids 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 2019 In space refuelling, refurbishing and removing

Safety from space

Clean Space ecodesign cleansat Space for Earth Supporting Sustainable Development

Space weather

Solar Hazards Lagrange mission: providing solar warning Space Weather Warning Network

Latest

Story
Distribution of space debris around Earth
Safety & Security

Automating collision avoidance

22/10/2019 630 views 21 likes
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Focus on
Clean Space Infographic
Safety & Security

Clean Space infographic

Clean Space infographic

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Safety & Security

ESA and Inmarsat sign agreement to use satellites for air t…

03/10/2019 51 views 0 likes
ESA and Inmarsat sign agreement to use satellites for air traffic management
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Safety & Security

ESA's detection expertise

22/01/2019 1489 views 17 likes
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Press Release N° 35–2014
Safety & Security

Google+ briefing: Rosetta science and countdown to comet landing

Media and interested members of the public are invited to join Rosetta mission experts online on Friday, 7 November for a briefing ahead of the historic comet landing on 12 November.
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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 Sentinel missions Earth Explorers Meteorological missions Space for our climate

Telecommunications

Telecommunications & Integrated Applications ARTES Business Applications Partnership Projects 5G

Satellite navigation

Navigation Galileo and EGNOS NAVISP Galileo Evolution

Downstream

Downstream Gateway Open Space Innovation Platform Technology Transfer Programme Business Incubation

Latest

Image
Applications

D28 iceberg takes a turn

22/10/2019 224 views 6 likes
D28 iceberg
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Story
Cracked: Pine Island Glacier
Applications

Emerging cracks in the Pine Island Glacier

18/10/2019 2590 views 66 likes
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Video 00:02:23
Applications

Earth from Space: Korean Peninsula

18/10/2019 1413 views 23 likes
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Rohingya exodus
Applications

Space technology improves conditions for refugees

Space technology improves conditions for refugees

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Press Release N° 15–2019
Applications

New European Space Agency mission will add to climate knowledge

A new European mission, the Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring mission, or FORUM, will add a crucial measurement to help our understanding of Earth’s changing climate. Measurements from the new spacecraft will improve confidence in the accuracy of climate change assessments that form the basis for future policy decisions.
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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

Access to space

Space Transportation Launch vehicles Europe's Spaceport Future launchers Space Rider

Flying missions

Operations ESA ground stations

Latest

Story
Enabling & Support

SABRE – next steps in developing the air-breathing engine

22/10/2019 29 views 1 likes
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Test board
Enabling & Support

Shaping the Future

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Enabling & Support

Model-based system engineering

18/10/2019 24 views 0 likes
Model-based system engineering
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Enabling & Support

Separation test of a Vega fairing

17/10/2019 87 views 0 likes
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Press Release N° 13–2019
Enabling & Support

Vega flight VV15: findings of the Independent Inquiry Commission’s investigations

The Independent Inquiry Commission, tasked with analysing the failure of Vega Flight VV15, submitted its findings on Wednesday, 4 September.     Co-chaired by the Inspector General of the European Space Agency (ESA); and the Senior Vice President, Technical and Quality of Arianespace; the Commission was appointed on Thursday, 11 July. According to its assigned task, after having analysed the flight data, the Commission identified possible causes for the anomaly and drew up recommendations for Vega to resume launches under the requisite conditions of safety, security and reliability.
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