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!
Despite running the International Space Station with just three crewmembers, ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman used the Station’s 17 m-long Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture and berth the fourth Dragon supply vessel.
Setting up a temporary robotics workstation in the Station’s Cupola observatory module, the astronauts monitored the approaching six-tonne craft until it stopped 10 m from the Station. Working two joysticks, Alexander moved Canadarm2 to hold Dragon-4. From there, the spacecraft was berthed to the Space Station’s Harmony module.
On Wednesday the hatch will be opened to reach the supplies. Dragon will stay for four weeks before it returns to Earth with experiments and samples.
Later this week the three astronauts now on the Station – commander Maxim Suarev, Alexander and Reid – will be joined by three new astronauts, arriving on a Soyuz spacecraft.