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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Testing equipment, procedures and even human resilience for future missions to faraway planets requires inventiveness. Volunteer astronauts can spend time in hyperbaric chambers, rollercoaster aircraft, an isolated base in Antarctica, caves, a sealed mockup spacecraft or even stay in bed, depending on the aspect you want to test and rehearse.
In this picture, scientist Lucie Poulet (right) from the DLR German Aerospace Center is part of a simulated mission to Mars run by the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.
Little is spared to make the crew of six feel far from home. The small habitat allows only 12 minutes under the shower each week, no fresh food is allowed and communication with friends and family is severely limited – a realistic 20-minute time delay is upheld in all communications with ground control.
Space agencies use simulations like this NASA-sponsored Hawaii Space Exploration Analogue and Simulation to research elements of sending humans into stressful environments. In space, help is far away, sunlight irregular, exercise difficult and social life is limited.
The crew will ‘return to Earth’ on 28 July. During their four months of isolation, Lucie is investigating new lighting systems to grow plants in greenhouses.