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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 Space Councils 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

Latest

Graphic indicating how Solar Orbiter let us see the connection between energetic electrons in space and their sources on the Sun

Science & Exploration

Double trouble: Solar Orbiter traces superfast electrons ba…

01/09/2025 976 views 23 likes

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Butterfly Nebula NGC 6302 (Webb & ALMA image)

Week in images: 25-29 August 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 5362 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.

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

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 space safety

Protecting our Pale Blue Dot Space Safety at ESA

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

ESA's Ramses mission at the asteroid Apophis

Space Safety

ESA and JAXA advance potential Apophis mission collaboration

27/08/2025 2211 views 51 likes

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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

Latest

Soil moisture anomalies over 2024 compared to 1991–2020

Applications

ESA data records help underpin climate change report

25/08/2025 1910 views 55 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 4424 views

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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

Over the summer 2025, ESA’s Ground Laser Transmitter, installed at the Kryoneri Observatory in Greece, has been the half of a optical communication demonstration campaign between Earth and NASA’s Psyche mission.

Enabling & Support

ESA wraps up 300-million-kilometre optical communication ca…

27/08/2025 2091 views 41 likes

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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 2680 views

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Applications

Copernicus downloads

3003 views 48 likes

ESA / Applications / Observing the Earth / Copernicus

A number of fact sheets, flyers, posters and open source material on Copernicus and the Sentinels are available for download by clicking on links below.

What are the top reasons for investing in Copernicus?
ESA, 2025

Copernicus4regions Magazine
Nereus/ESA, 2024

Sentinel-5 fact sheet
ESA, 2025

Sentinel-4 fact sheet
ESA, 2025

Sentinel-2 fact sheet
ESA, 2024

Sentinel-1 fact sheet
ESA, 2024

'All eye on Earth' exhibition posters
ESA/Direction Earth, 2023

Sentinel Expansion missions
ESA, 2022

Sentinel-6 fact sheet
ESA, 2020

Sentinels - Space for Copernicus
ESA Brochure (BR-319) 5th edition, 2019

The ever growing use of Copernicus across Europe’s regions
ESA/Nereus, 2018

Sentinel-3 fact sheet
ESA, 2018