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
Go to topicThe first launch of the ESA ARTES Pioneer programme took place on 29 November 2018 at 04:27 GMT, from Sriharikota, India, by the Indian Space Research Organisation's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
Two nanosatellites built by Spire Global were launched into low Earth orbit.
Named ‘Space as a Service’, the Spire Pioneer mission aims to prove the value of using nanosats for space-based Radio Occultation: the process of using satellites to measure how GNSS signals are refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere.