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 Rosetta Flight Model being prepared for thermal-vacuum tests in the Large Space Simulator in the ESTEC Test Centre in March 2002. The international Rosetta mission was approved in November 1993 by ESA's Science Programme Committee as the Planetary 'Cornerstone' Mission in ESA's long-term programme in space science, 'Horizon 2000'. The mission's main goal is a rendezvous beginning in January 2014 with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, but it will also study two asteroids during close fly-bys en route to the comet. Rosetta will study the nucleus the comet and its environment in great detail for almost two years, the near-nucleus phase starting at a heliocentric distance of about 3.25 AU, from onset of activity through to perihelion, close to 1 AU. Launch is planned for February 2004 on an Ariane-5 from Kourou, French Guiana.