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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Bruno Bergaglio, ESA’s launch campaign manager, during the final rehearsal for Swarm launch, 19 November 2013, practising the complete sequence from before launch until acquisition of signal.
Rehersal included controllers at the Mission Control Centre, Plesetsk; the Operations Control Centre, at ESA/ESOC; and the ground tracking stations.
ESA’s Swarm mission is ready for launch on a Russian Rockot on 22 November at 12:02 GMT (13:02 CET), from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. The three-satellite Swarm mission aims to unravel one of the most mysterious aspects of our planet: the magnetic field.
Swarm is ESA’s fourth Earth Explorer mission, following GOCE, SMOS and CryoSat.