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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Expedition 47 backup crew member, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Ryzhikov of Roscosmos answers a question from the press ahead of his Soyuz qualification exams with Russian cosmonaut Andre Borisenko, and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.
Born on August 19, 1974, Sergei is a colonel of the Russian Air Force, and was selected as a cosmonaut in 2006. Sergei's first spaceflight will be on the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft in 2016. He will spend around six months on the International space station taking part in Expedition 49/50 where he will be reunited with fellow cavenaut Thomas Pesquet for the second half of his mission.