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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This beautiful and unusual view of the M16 nebula, also known as 'The Eagle', was built thanks to data collected by ESA's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). It shows exactly what in the best known pictures of this famous nebula remains invisible: huge amounts of the cold dust that enshrouds newborn stars.
Building upon ISO's heritage, ESA's Herschel spacecraft, to study the Universe at infrared and sub-millimitre wavelenghts, will peer into the secrets of star formation with state-of-the-art technologies.