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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ESRO-2 was the first satellite developed by the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), a predecessor of the European Space Agency. ESRO's first satellites concentrated on solar and cosmic radiation and their interaction with the Earth and its magnetosphere. ESRO-2A was launched on 29 May 1967 from the Western Test Range in California, but the fourth stage of its NASA Scout launcher failed to ignite, leaving the satellite to burn up on reentry. The 74 kg ESRO-2B replacement (named Iris once in orbit) was launched 17 May 1968 carrying the same seven experiments. Although its design life was only 1 year, most subsystems and four experiments were still returning data by the time atmospheric drag produced reentry on 9 May 1971.