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
Go to topicThe remote quasars SDSS J083643.85+005453.3, SDSS J103027.10+052455.0, and SDSS J104433.04-012502.2, as observed with the NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrograph) instrument on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The quasars are shown in the centre of each image and are some of the most distant quasars known (redshifts of 5.82, 6.28, and 5.78). Quasars are some of the most exotic and ultraluminous sources known. They are powered by supermassive black holes in their centres.