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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An engineer checks that the Sentinel-1 satellite is positioned correctly in the vacuum chamber at Thales Alenia Space. Once the chamber is sealed and the air has been pumped out to create a vacuum, the satellite is exposed to extreme temperatures. In orbit, Sentinel-1has to withstand huge fluctuations of temperature: from –265°C when facing deep space to 200°C when facing the Sun.