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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Recovery of the Foton-8 capsule near the Kazakh city of Kustanay on 24 October 1992. The helicopters in the background are, from left to right, an Mi-6 freighter (to carry Foton), an Mi-8 utility craft (for the technicians) and an Mi-14 amphibian vehicle. Foton's payload included ESA's Biopan experiment carrier, designed and manufactured for ESA by Kayser-Threde to open in orbit to expose experiments to the space environment. Foton-8 carried the Biopan-0 demonstration version. Foton and Bion recoverable satellites have, since 1987, regularly carried ESA payloads into orbit. ESA's Biobox, Biopan and FluidPac flight facilities were specifically designed for Bion/Foton missions. Foton-8 was launched on 8 October 1992 from Russia's northern Plesetsk cosmodrome. [Image Date: 24-10-92] [98.08.004-006]