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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DART impacting the smaller of the two Didymos asteroids, as seen from the larger body. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirect Test, DART, mission is due to be launched in late 2020. The fridge-sized spacecraft will fly itself to the Didymos system with a xenon-based electric propulsion system, steering with an onboard camera and sophisticated autonomous navigation software. DART will reach Didymos in October 2022 and steer itself into Didymoon at a speed of approximately 6.6 km/s. ESA's desk-sized Hera spacecraft would then reach Didymoon in 2026 for a close-up survey of the results.