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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View from the International Space Station taken by ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano.
A Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft was planned to arrive on 24 August with supplies and a Russian robot “Fedor” but its docking was called off after a problem with the automated docking system. Another attempt was made a few days later at a different docking port that was vacated by moving the Soyuz MS-13. Luca, US astronaut Andrew Morgan and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov moved their spacecraft manually in a half-hour spaceflight to make way for the new arrival.
Luca posted this picture commenting: "For the Soyuz redocking the International Space Station changed its orientation. I like to think that, if Chewy and Han ever visited Earth on board the Millennium Falcon, they’d see it like this…"
Luca was launched to the International Space Station for his second mission, Beyond, on 20 July 2019. He will spend six months living and working on the orbital outpost where he will support more than 50 European experiments and more than 200 international experiments in space.
Follow Luca and his Beyond mission on social media on his website and on his blog.