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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

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Latest

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JADES-GS-z13-1 in the GOODS-S field (NIRCam image)
Science & Exploration

Webb sees galaxy mysteriously clearing fog of early Universe

26/03/2025 262 views 9 likes
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Science & Exploration

Watch wind whirl from the Sun

26/03/2025 352 views 31 likes
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Science & Exploration

ACES: time to get ready

25/03/2025 844 views 34 likes
ESA's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
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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 4353 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
JADES-GS-z13-1 in the GOODS-S field (NIRCam image)
Science & Exploration

Webb sees galaxy mysteriously clearing fog of early Universe

26/03/2025 262 views 9 likes
Read
Video 00:00:43
Play
Science & Exploration

Watch wind whirl from the Sun

26/03/2025 352 views 31 likes
Play
Image
Science & Exploration

European engineers give Orion its wings

10/03/2025 1833 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 577 views 21 likes
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Space Safety

The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission – The cosmic …

12/03/2025 2491 views 75 likes
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Space Safety

Hera Mars flyby

10/03/2025 4289 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 1869 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 1779 views 20 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 4003 views
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ESA Φ-week 2021
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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

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Enabling & Support

Smartphone-speed microprocessor for space

25/03/2025 167 views 0 likes
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Enabling & Support

Inner space engineering

21/03/2025 1148 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 2401 views
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Testing MTG imager
Applications

Facts and figures

5021 views 10 likes
ESA / Applications / Observing the Earth / Meteorological missions / meteosat third generation
Mission Comprises four MTG-Imager satellites and two MTG-Sounder satellites
MTG Imagers
Satellites Three-axis stabilised satellites, each weighing 3600 kg (including almost 2 tonnes of fuel)
Dimensions 2.3 x 2.8 x 5.2 m (stowed for launch)
Instruments Flexible Combined Imager (FCI), Lightning Imager (LI), Data Collection and Retransmission Service, Geostationary Search and Rescue Relay (DCS/GEOSAR)
Power 2 kW
Life Nominal design life 8.5 years (with fuel to last for >10.7 years)
MTG Sounders
Satellites Three-axis stabilised satellites, each weighing 3800 kg (including fuel)
Dimensions 2.4 x 3 x 5.2 m (stowed for launch)
Instruments Infrared Sounder (IRS), Copernicus Sentinel-4 ultraviolet visible & near-infrared mission (UVN)
Power Up to 2 kW
Life Minimal design life 8.5 years 
   
Prime contractor Thales Alenia Space for overall programme and MTG-I satellite; OHB for MTG-S satellite
Project and commissioning Satellite design and development and recurrent satellite builds managed at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands (on behalf of Eumetsat)

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