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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Preparing a vacuum chamber for testing in ESA’s Propulsion Laboratory.
One of a suite of technical laboratories in ESA’s Technical Centre, ESTEC, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, the Propulsion Laboratory investigates methods of controlling the motion of spacecraft once they have reached space.
The Lab has a great deal of experience with highly-efficient electrical propulsion systems, such as ion thrusters, but as these work only in a vacuum the team has a set of vacuum chambers to recreate space down on Earth.