ESA title

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

Careers
Business with ESA
Newsroom
Education
Kids
ESA Space Shop

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 Annual Report Calendar of meetings Corporate news

Establishments & sites

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

Working with ESA

Business with ESA ESA Commercialisation Gateway Law at ESA Careers Cyber resilience at ESA IT at ESA Newsroom Partnerships Merchandising Licence Education Open Space Innovation Platform Integrity and Reporting Administrative Tribunal Health and Safety

More about ESA

History ESA Historical Archives Exhibitions Publications Art & Culture ESA Merchandise Kids Diversity ESA Brand Centre ESA Champions

Latest

Video 00:15:30
Play
Science & Exploration

Arnaud Prost | Sky, Sea, Space | ESA Explores #12

28/03/2025 359 views 20 likes
Play
Focus on
The Cosmic Tornado / Herbig-Haro 49/50 (Webb telescope image)

Week in images: 24-28 March 2025

Discover our week through the lens

Open
Story
IRIDE first image over Rome
Applications

IRIDE first image presented at ESA–ESRIN

28/03/2025 13263 views 39 likes
Read
Image
Applications

Earth from Space: Waza National Park, Cameroon

28/03/2025 671 views 22 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures the striking landscape surrounding the Waza National Park in Cameroon.
View
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 4396 views
Open

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

Go to topic

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

Latest

Story
Artist view: ExoMars lander
Science & Exploration

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will have a European landin…

30/03/2025 161 views 2 likes
Read
Video 00:05:23
Play
Science & Exploration

Gaia: Rewriting the story of the Milky Way

28/03/2025 1123 views 32 likes
Play
Image
Science & Exploration

Webb spies a spiral through a cosmic lens

27/03/2025 11229 views 133 likes
Spying a spiral through a cosmic lens (Webb telescope image)
View
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 3204 views
Open
Focus on
Science & Exploration

Space science from home: resources for children and adults

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

Open

Space Safety

Protecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit

Go to topic

About safety and security

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

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

Latest

Story
Hera's autonomous surface feature tracking during Mars flyby
Space Safety

Hera asteroid mission tested self-driving technique at Mars

25/03/2025 1742 views 33 likes
Read
Video 00:03:21
Play
Space Safety

The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission – The cosmic …

12/03/2025 2588 views 75 likes
Play
Image
Space Safety

Hera Mars flyby

10/03/2025 4365 views 86 likes
Hera Mars flyby
View
Focus on
Space Safety

James Webb Space Telescope will study asteroid 2024 YR4

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

Open

Applications

Using space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth

Go to topic

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

Story
IRIDE first image over Rome
Applications

IRIDE first image presented at ESA–ESRIN

28/03/2025 13263 views 39 likes
Read
Image
Applications

Earth from Space: Waza National Park, Cameroon

28/03/2025 671 views 22 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures the striking landscape surrounding the Waza National Park in Cameroon.
View
Video 00:02:18
Play
Applications

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

20/11/2024 1819 views 20 likes
Play
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 4027 views
Open
Focus on
ESA Φ-week 2021
Applications

Register for Φ-week

Open

Enabling & Support

Making space accessible and developing the technologies for the future

Go to topic

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
Proba-3’s Coronagraph spacecraft captured by a camera onboard the Occulter spacecraft during the mission's first autonomous formation acquisition
Enabling & Support

Proba-3's first autonomous formation flight

27/03/2025 1899 views 38 likes
Read
Image
Enabling & Support

Inner space engineering

21/03/2025 1325 views 35 likes
Inner space engineering
View
Video 00:02:27
Play
Enabling & Support

Proba-3 lift-off replay

05/12/2024 3124 views 64 likes
Play
Focus on
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

Open
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 2417 views
Open
Science & Exploration

Herschel images

07/12/2012 2148 views
ESA / Science & Exploration / Space Science / Highlights

Recent images from ESA's Herschel space observatory

  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    Orion A

    26/08/2013 7237 views 54 likes
    Open item
    Herschel’s view of Orion A
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    Herschel’s view of the Horsehead Nebula

    19/04/2013 18428 views 138 likes
    Open item
    Herschel’s view of the Horsehead Nebula and surrounds
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    W44 and its environment

    14/11/2012 3271 views 12 likes
    Open item
    W44 and its environment
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    W3

    27/03/2013 5216 views 41 likes
    Open item
    W3
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    Cool Andromeda

    28/01/2013 20448 views 175 likes
    Open item
    Cool Andromeda
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    Betelgeuse’s enigmatic environment

    22/01/2013 9658 views 73 likes
    Open item
    Betelgeuse’s enigmatic environment
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    Herschel’s three-colour view of asteroid Apophis

    09/01/2013 3870 views 23 likes
    Open item
    Herschel’s three-colour view of asteroid Apophis
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    Vela C region

    09/07/2012 3401 views 20 likes
    Open item
    Vela C region
  • Image
    Agency

    Blowing bubbles in the Carina Nebula

    01/06/2012 5682 views 18 likes
    Open item
    Blowing bubbles in the Carina Nebula
  • Image
    Science & Exploration

    Herschel’s swan

    11/05/2012 4265 views 36 likes
    Open item
    Herschel’s swan
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10