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 topicThe European Data Relay System (EDRS) is the most sophisticated laser communication network ever designed.
Dubbed the ‘SpaceDataHighway’, EDRS will help Earth-observing satellites to transmit large quantities of potentially life-saving data down to Europe in near-real time.
It's not only satellites in the sky, however. EDRS comprises a space segment that covers Europe and provides quasi-continuous contact on a global scale as well as the ground segment to support this coverage.
With ground stations and control centres all over Western Europe, EDRS increases the time a satellite can be in contact with its ground station by four.