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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First image published by ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano of his spacewalk to service the cosmic ray detecting Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02). Luca posted this photo with the caption: AMS EVA1: the entirety of the International Space Station is reflected in my helmet, with Earth in the background. A real life version of my Beyond mission patch.
Luca and his spacewalking partner NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan performed the first of several spacewalks in the complex series to maintain AMS-02 on Friday 15 November 2019. It was the first time a European astronaut has held the leading role in a spacewalk known as EV1.
The spacewalk went so well that the pair even managed to complete some tasks scheduled for the next spacewalk in the series.