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 22 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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Thomas Reiter was the first ESA astronaut to make an EVA on 20 October 1995 during the EuroMir 95 mission with colleague Sergei Avdeyev. Here he is during his second EVA, the third of the mission (blue stripes, right), with Yuri Gidzenko (left, red stripes) on 8 February 1996.