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 Project Manager Dick Bentall and the Engineering/Qualification Model (EQM) of the European Robotic Arm (ERA). ERA underwent a week of thermal balance tests during November 1999 in the Large Space Simulator (LSS) at ESTEC. It was hoisted into the chamber on 3 November. Assembly of the Flight Model at Fokker Space is expected to be completed in May 2000, with delivery to Moscow targeted for end-2000. Launch is planned for November 2001 aboard the Space Shuttle as part of Russias Science & Power Platform (SPP) cargo. Once installed, the 11.3 m-long ERA intelligent robot will be used for SPPs in-orbit assembly particularly the solar array and be available for in-orbit maintenance tasks and support of extravehicular activities. Unlike a human arm, ERA is functionally symmetric [Image Date: 1999/11] [99.11.008-004]