ESA title
Back to Index
Agency

N° 61–2000: ESA's new web portal - gateway to Europe's space presence

18 October 2000

The European Space Agency's new web portal will be launched today. Very different from the present homepage in both look and content, it is geared towards the general public and the media. Readers will get the latest news on European space activities, covering major space-related issues.

The revamped site will give visitors an overview of ESA's space activities by presenting news and background information organised into topics:

 

  • Life in space
  • Expanding frontiers
  • Improving daily life
  • Protecting the environment
  • Benefits for Europe

The portal will also offer a weekly photo feature, a calendar of space-related events, high-resolution images and video clips, and much more. Proven services such as the publications section, press releases, ESA television and job opportunities, will be maintained, as will the ESA news list service.

For the first time, ESA's site is gaining a multilingual dimension, in keeping with the Agency's international composition. The main portal news will continue to be provided in English; but in addition, national sections will cover local news and events in the local language. Starting with France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands in October 2000, the aim is eventually to provide this service for each of ESA's Member States.

Although targeted at the general public and the media, the ESA portal is also a gateway through which specialised groups, such as industry, the scientific community, public and private initiatives, will be able to access the specialised information they need in order to do business and research with ESA.

The portal is intended to become a reference site for journalists and members of the general public (not limited to Europe) who are interested in and fascinated by space. A team of editors and graphic designers has been set up at ESRIN, an ESA establishment located near Rome. They will be supported by writers and journalists in their job of making sure that the portal is continuously updated, answering users' queries and addressing their interests.

Visit the new ESA web portal at: http://www.esa.int

For more information contact:

Fulvio Drigani

ESA web portal manager

Tel: 00 39 06 941 80 840

Fax: 00 39 06 941 80 842

or :

contactesa@esrin.esa.it

Franco Bonacina

Communication Department

ESA Media Relations Office

Tel: 00 33 (0)1 5369 7155

Fax: 00 33 (0)1 5369 7690