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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France’s CNES space agency astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien during the first spacewalk performed by a European, on 9 December 1988 during his mission to the Russian Mir space station.
Flying in a Soyuz spacecraft with cosmonauts Alexander Volkov and Sergei Krikalov, Jean-Loup spent 26 days in space. His six-hour spacewalk outside of Mir was the longest spacewalk at the time and saw him install experiments.