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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Sandra Siljeström in the lab in front of the ToF-SIMS, an spectrometer for surface analysis using a pulsed ion beam.
Sandra Siljeström works for Sweden’s research institute RISE and has more than a decade of expertise in organic geochemistry. She is one of five European members of NASA’s Mars 2020 science team.
The role of the science team is to provide the best information and context about the samples. One added competence of the European members is in the field of organic geochemistry – the study of molecules that have carbon atoms in rocks.
The mission will help understand the geology of the landing site and identify which resources could be useful for human exploration.