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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ESA astronaut Claudie Haigneré during The Kid’s Weightless Dreams campaign organised by Novespace and Rêves de Gosse that gave children with disabilities the opportunity to experience weightlessness and lunar gravity on a parabolic flight.
Eight children from five ESA member states – UK, France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy – boarded the Zero-G Airbus A310 in Bordeaux on 24 August 2017.
In addition to experiencing weightlessness, the children were also involved in science demonstrations. These included lighting a candle, mixing liquids of different densities, playing ping-pong with bubbles of water and working a fidget spinner to demonstrate the effects of microgravity.
Joining the children were ESA astronauts from their corresponding member states who have flown in space were on board to assist and mentor the children and answer their questions, Thomas Reiter (DE), Tim Peake (GB), Frank De Winne (BE), Claudie Haigneré (FR), Jean-Francois Clervoy (FR) and Maurizio Cheli (IT).