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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Engineers inspect individual radiator fins that will be attached to the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter.
The 3.7 m wide radiator is specially designed to reflect heat directionally, thus allowing the spacecraft to fly at low altitude over the hot surface of the planet. Heat generated by spacecraft subsystems and payload components, as well as heat coming from the Sun and Mercury and ‘leaking’ through the thermal blankets into the spacecraft, will be carried away to the radiator by heat pipes.