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 topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
Artist impression of ESA's Solar Orbiter spacecraft.
Solar Orbiter is an international collaboration between ESA and NASA to study the Sun and what drives the dynamic outflow of solar wind that can create ‘space weather’ at Earth. Its suite of instruments will provide close up observations of the Sun, including the first images of the polar regions, as well as in situ measurements of the plasma environment around the spacecraft. The mission is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral in February 2020.