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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XMM passed an important milestone on 9 February 1999 with the arrival at ESTEC of the upper half of the flight model spacecraft from prime contractor Dornier in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The journey from southern Germany to the Netherlands, with the Black Forest pass deep in snow, was an adventure in itself for the two extra-wide trucks carrying the upper module and the delicate high-tech imaging camera built by European scientists. The upper module, which consists of the focal plane assembly and associated telescope tube, was at ESTEC for the final sequence of environmental tests. It was moved into ESTEC's Large Space Simulator on 23 February. The X-ray observatory is planned for launch in January 2000 aboard an Ariane-5 from Kourou, French Guiana. [Image Date: 1999/02] [99.03.004-036]