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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On 21 July 2016, the crew for the 21st NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, sortie descended to the underwater Aquarius base reef off the coast of Florida. During their stay they will enact a mission to Mars to test equipment for astronauts. The six ‘aquanauts’ will spend 16 days 20 m underwater in their habitat and perform ‘waterwalks’ – by adjusting their buoyancy, the aquanauts can simulate Mars gravity. Hervé Stevenin and Matthias Maurer from ESA's European Astronaut Centre are taking part in the mission.
Read more: Return to the underwater space station