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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Examining the BepiColombo stack in ESA’s test centre. The person gives a sense of scale of the full spacecraft stack, which is more than 6 m high.
Although not fully visible in this view, the Mercury Transfer Module is at the bottom, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter is in the middle, and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter’s Sunshield and Interface Structure is seen at the top. The red panels are covers protecting the folded solar wings, and will be removed before flight. The white covering on the spacecraft is a thermal blanket to help protect the craft from the high temperatures that will be experienced operating close to the Sun. The horn-shaped object on the corner of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter is the spacecraft’s medium gain antenna; it is fixed to a boom that will be deployed after launch.