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 André Kuipers (NL) is assigned to fly on Soyuz TMA-03M to the ISS, scheduled for November 2011, as part of the Expedition 30 crew. Expedition 30 begins with Soyuz TMA-02M undocking in November 2011. Kuipers and the new crew members arrive shortly thereafter at the ISS with Soyuz TMA-03M.
Along with Kuipers, the other members of Expedition 30 are NASA astronauts Dan Burbank and Don Pettit, Roscosmos cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoli Ivanishin and Oleg Kononenko.
This patch was designed by Dutch artist Luc van den Abeelen, and partially based on a picture sent by 11-year old Alena Gerasimova from Petrozavodsk, Russia, in the regular competition held by Roscosmos for children to send in their designs.