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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This half-scale model of ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and the full-scale model of the ExoMars rover below it will be on show during ESA’s Sunday 6 October Open Day at its ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
Launched in 2016, the Trace Gas Orbiter is today in Mars orbit, seeking out anomalous methane gas in the scant martian atmosphere. The ExoMars rover, named Rosalind Franklin, is due to be launched next year.
The theme of this year’s ESA Open Day is ‘ESA to the Moon’, but ESTEC’s Erasmus Centre will also feature an exhibit called Destination: Mars, highlighting current and future missions to the Red Planet, including plans for an international Mars Sample Return mission.