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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 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

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

Hera asteroid mission tested self-driving technique at Mars

25/03/2025 281 views 7 likes
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Science & Exploration

ACES: time to get ready

25/03/2025 790 views 32 likes
ESA's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
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Agency

Introducing the new ESA's hyper performance computing

21/03/2025 804 views 27 likes
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Galaxies in different shapes captured by Euclid

Week in images: 17-21 March 2025

Discover our week through the lens

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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 4351 views
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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

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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
The Cosmic Tornado / Herbig-Haro 49/50 (Webb telescope image)
Science & Exploration

Webb unmasks true nature of the Cosmic Tornado

24/03/2025 4302 views 43 likes
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Science & Exploration

Euclid is back – 26 million galaxies and counting

19/03/2025 19490 views 340 likes
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Science & Exploration

European engineers give Orion its wings

10/03/2025 1829 views 53 likes
A solar array of the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II with the ESA and NASA logos
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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 3168 views
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Science & Exploration

Space science from home: resources for children and adults

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

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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

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 281 views 7 likes
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Video 00:03:21
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Space Safety

The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission – The cosmic …

12/03/2025 2479 views 74 likes
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Space Safety

Hera Mars flyby

10/03/2025 4279 views 86 likes
Hera Mars flyby
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Space Safety

James Webb Space Telescope will study asteroid 2024 YR4

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

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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

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

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Documents and publications
Applications

MetOp-SG documents and publications

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Applications

Earth from Space: Land of giants

21/03/2025 1841 views 47 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
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Applications

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

20/11/2024 1775 views 19 likes
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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 4002 views
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ESA Φ-week 2021
Applications

Register for Φ-week

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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 Launches from Europe's Spaceport from 2012

Flying missions

Operations ESA ground stations Ground Systems Engineering

Latest

Story
Enabling & Support

Smartphone-speed microprocessor for space

25/03/2025 159 views 0 likes
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Enabling & Support

Inner space engineering

21/03/2025 1137 views 30 likes
Inner space engineering
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Enabling & Support

Proba-3 lift-off replay

05/12/2024 3093 views 64 likes
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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

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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 2400 views
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Science & Exploration

Postcards from Rosetta

06/08/2014 1211 views
ESA / Science & Exploration / Space Science / Rosetta / Highlights
Latest images from Rosetta’s comet
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    Science & Exploration

    Comet details

    06/08/2014 37227 views 211 likes
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    Science & Exploration

    Comet close-up

    06/08/2014 42333 views 226 likes
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    Science & Exploration

    Comet on 3 August 2014

    06/08/2014 100819 views 518 likes
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    Comet on 3 August 2014
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    Science & Exploration

    Comet on 3 August 2014

    06/08/2014 43180 views 163 likes
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    Comet on 3 August 2014
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    Science & Exploration

    Comet activity on 2 August 2014

    06/08/2014 22676 views 57 likes
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    Comet activity on 2 August 2014
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