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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Europa and Enceladus
Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons and Enceladus, a moon of Saturn will be important objectives for future space exploration.
Data from past space missions show that an ocean of liquid water could exist under Europa’s icy crust. In 2007, the NASA Cassini mission found evidence of cold geysers of water issuing from Enceladus, possibly fueled by liquid reservoirs tens of metres beneath its icy surface.
In recent years, bacteria found on Earth in the Antarctic have been brought back to life by warming them after thousands of years of immersion in ice. Scientists are keen to investigate if similar physical and biological conditions exist on Europa and Enceladus.
For more information on Enceladus, please click on the following link: Enceladus, Cassini-Huygens.
For more information on Europa, please click on the following link: Europa, NASA image.