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 topicGalaxy 2MASX J09442693+0429569 imaged by Hubble. This elliptical galaxy has entered a transitional phase from a young, star-forming galaxy to an older, larger, "red and dead" galaxy. Here, two galaxies have collided, exhausting the gases in the surrounding area and stopping the process of star birth. By contrast, as Hubble looks deeper into the Universe, galaxies show much more vigorous star birth. A merger is also predicted to happen between our own Milky Way Galaxy and neighbouring Andromeda in about four billion years.