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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Start of the Seeds in Space experiment on 22 April 2004. Via an inflight call, Dutch ESA astronaut André Kuipers joins a class at De Klaverweide school in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science, Maria van der Hoeven also attended the event in Noordwijk.
Over 70 000 schoolchildren simulataneously started the experiment by planting their seeds in the rocket-shaped kit. After four days they will compare the growth of their seeds with those of André Kuipers' in space.
(22 April 2004)