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 is an artist's impression of an embryonic galaxy brimming with star birth in the early Universe, less than a thousand million years after the Big Bang. The galaxy is still taking shape and looks nothing like the majestic spiral and elliptical galaxies that are the near neighbours of our own Milky Way.
The illustration shows several tight clusters of stars coming to life. They are surrounded by glowing bubbles of hydrogen gas produced by massive stars erupting as supernovae. Young, developing galaxies can be seen in the background.
The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a young star-forming galaxy similar to the one in this illustration. It was born just 700 million years after the Big Bang.