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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The global logistics and supply chain industry represents a focus of interest for passive terahertz screening, co-patented by ESA and marketed by ThruVision. The massive distribution centres that serve the fast-growing e-commerce sector, staffed by thousands of employees, have proved attractive targets for theft by organised crime and individuals. Traditionally such centres perform randomised employee patdowns using portable metal detectors, which are intrusive, unpopular and thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, unsanitary. They are also ineffective, being unable to detect non-metallic objects. Instead SONY Digital Audio Disc Corporation, the manufacturing logistics arm of SONY Corporation has begun using the passive terahertz system to routinely screen all its distribution centre workers. Operating from a distance of 3 m away, the technology can even detect very small metallic and non-metallic objects, such as CDs, cell phones or USB drives.