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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On the evening of 11 April 2011, the international initiative Yuri’s Night lifted off in the Russian capital with a festival co-organized by RSC Energia where hundreds of young rocket engineers celebrated the historic flight into space by human kind. During the event, ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, together with his crew mates Dmitry Kondratiev and Cady Coleman, sent greetings from the International Space Station encouraging future explorers to keep the space spirit up. Veteran cosmonaut Vladimir Solovyov, who logged 361 days in space, also attended the event to highlight the vital role that young people should play in human spaceflight. The action ended with the launch of thousands of luminous baloons with Gagarin's portrait into the night sky.