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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Parts of Planck’s solar array displayed in the S1B clean room at Europe’s launch site (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana, at the end of February 2009. The solar array comprises a circular inner array and a ring-shaped outer array. The latter is composed of four quarter sections seen resting on tables prior to their installation on the spacecraft. The Planck spacecraft can be seen above and to the left of the array sections; the Herschel spacecraft is at the far end of the clean room.