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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ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter (DE) flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery STS-121 to join Expedition 13 in July 2006 as part of the Astrolab mission. He later became part of Expedition 14 before returning to Earth aboard the Discovery STS-116 flight six months later.
This emblem embodies the past, present, and future of human space exploration. The Roman numeral XIV suspended above Earth against the black background of space symbolises the 14th mission to the ISS, or Международная Космическая Станция (MKC) in Russian. Elements of this symbol merge into a unified trajectory destined for the moon, Mars and beyond, much as science and operations aboard the ISS today will pave the way for future missions to our celestial neighbours. The five stars honor the astronauts and cosmonauts of missions Apollo 1, Soyuz 1, Soyuz 11, Challenger and Columbia, who gave their lives in the pursuit of knowledge and discovery.
The patch was designed by Michael Lopez-Alegria, Expedition commander. He said: "We wanted to go back to the earlier way of designing space patches. Simple and no names."