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 topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
The Soyuz launcher carrying the Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft is erected on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on 25 May 2009. ESA astronaut Frank De Winne is scheduled to launch to the ISS together with Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk at 12:34 CEST on 27 May 2009. Their arrival at the ISS two days later will increase the size of the resident Expedition crew from three to six for the first time. The launch marks the start of De Winne's OasISS mission which sees him spend six months on the Station, initially as a Flight Engineer for Expedition 20. With a crew rotation due in October, he later takes over as ISS Commander for Expedition 21 - he will be the first European to take on this role.