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
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst inside ATV Georges Lemaitre for the first time on orbit after hatch opening.
Alexander wears a facemask to protect against inhaling any fine particles of dust or debris that might have shaken lose at launch. One of first things the crew does is install fans and air cleaners to run for several hours inside ATV.
The fifth and last Automated Transfer Vehicle docked with the International Space Station a day earlier on 12 August 2014.
ATV-5 delivers 6.6 tonnes of supplies to the ISS including food, water, fuel, clothes and experiment hardware.
More about ATV-5 in the blog: blogs.esa.int/atv