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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The 16 July 2000, at 14.39 CEST, a Soyouz-Fregat launch vehicle provided by the French-Russian Starsem consortium lifted off with FM 6 Salsa and FM 7 Samba, the first pair of Cluster-2 satellites.
ESA's Cluster-2 mission, consists of four identical spacecraft flying in formation between 19000 and 119000 km above the Earth.
There, they will study the planet's magnetic field and electric surroundings in three dimensions.In particular, they will be looking at the effects of the solar wind, the hot wave energy produced by the Sun, which buffets Earth's protective magnetosphere.
This wind often breaks through the magnetosphere at the poles, producing auroras.
Cluster II will examine this and many other phenomena associated with the solar wind.