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 topicDuring its fifteen-year mission, Ulysses has unveiled a wealth of features concerning our Sun and the interplanetary environment under its influence, the heliosphere. For example, Ulysses found out that the Sun's magnetic field reverses its polarity in an unexpectedly simple way. From the unique vantage point of view of a polar orbit around the Sun, Ulysses found out the the solar magnetic axis simply flips by 180 degrees over the course of its 11-year magnetic cycle.