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
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
SMART-1 is the first ESA spacecraft to use the new and more efficient three-layered triple-junction gallium-arsenide (GaAs) solar cells. They have 21% efficiency compared to the 6-12% efficiency of those commercially available previously, which were made from materials similar to the solar cells used in pocket calculators. Soon GaA-based solar cells, which are the subject of further development by ESA and European industry, could also be a very powerful source of energy for other applications on Earth as well as in space.