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
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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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This drop-test model of ESA’s IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle will be among the attractions on display at this year’s ESTEC Open Day on 5 October.
IXV’s sleek lifting body design gives a clue to its purpose: the flight version will ascend 450 km into space this November on a Vega rocket before beginning a long glide back through the atmosphere.
In the process, IXV will gather data on reentry conditions to help guide the design of future spaceplanes.
The IXV replica seen here was last year dropped by helicopter into the Mediterranean to demonstrate that the design would endure splashdown – note the flotation balloons.
The flight model, meanwhile, has been put through its paces at ESA’s test centre next door, with everything needed to recreate every aspect of the launch and space environment under one roof.