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 gallery of SMART-1 pictures illustrates the science and exploration themes addressed by the mission.
The mission addresses the physical processes at work on Earth-like planets and their evolution. The moon is a geophysical laboratory where impacts, volcanism, tectonics and effects of space weather can be studied to put together the story of the Moon’s past. The geochemistry and thus the origins of the Moon, the evolution of the Earth-Moon system and the bombardment of the inner solar system are topics addressed under lunar formation and evolution.
Apart from studying the collected data, know-how from SMART-1 is helping prepare the ground for future science and exploration missions. With its unrivalled resolution in colour and various illumination angles, the satellite has mapped the polar regions, surveyed lunar resources and investigated potential landing sites and outposts.