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!
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui was born in 1970 and has a military and engineering background. Kimiya became an astronaut in 2009.
Kimiya is an ‘aquanaut’, having spent over a week underwater on one of NASA’s training missions off the coast of Florida. These missions prepare crews for life on the International Space Station, living in cramped quarters with no easy way out.