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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Ariane 510, V142 's transfer from the BAF (Final Assembly Building) to the launch pad.
Ariane 5 launched Artemis, ESA's advanced telecommunication satellite, on Thursday 12 July 2001.
Artemis, built under the prime contractorship of Alenia Spazio, Italy, will test and operate new telecommunication technologies in satellite navigation, mobile communication services and inter-satellite data relay. The spacecraft is designed for voice and data communications between mobile terminals (mainly for cars, trucks and trains of boats), broadcasting accurate navigation information as an element of Europe's EGNOS and sending high-speed data communications directly between satellites.
Ariane-5 is an ESA programme for which ESA delegated management responsibility to CNES.
Launch operations are managed by Arianespace at the ELA-3 launch site at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.