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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The payload fairing is lowered over ESA’s Rosetta cometary probe on top of the first Ariane 5G+, in the Final Assembly Building of Ariane Launch Complex 3 at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport, on 18 February 2004. The launcher was transferred to the pad on 24 February but, due to several delays caused by high altitude winds, it lifted off on 2 March 2004.
Owing to delays in the Ariane 5 programme, the initial launch campaign to comet 46P/Wirtanen was interrupted in December 2002 and the mission was redesigned for comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.