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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ESA's Biopan (top left) integrated with the Foton-11 descent capsule during the final electrical/mechanical interface tests at the Progress factory in Samara, Russia, in July 1997, 3 months before launch. Biopan was then shipped back to Europe for the application of the white thermal paint, calibration of the internal sensors and experiments integration, before being transported to the launch site. Above Biopan is Germany's MIRKA 1 m-diameter reentry sphere that was separated shortly before reentry and recovered a few hundred km away from the main capsule. The large silver box inside Foton is ESA's Biobox-3. Russia's Foton-11 microgravity mission was launched from Plesetsk on 9 October 1997 carrying ESA's Biobox-3 and external Biopan-2 carriers, plus three autonomous experiments, totalling 12 biology experiments involving scientists from France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands and Russia. Foton also carried payloads from CNES and DARA. The descent capsule landed safely 200 km south-east of Kustenay in Kazakhstan on 23 October 1997. [Image Date: 1997/07] [98.01.012-011]