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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Internal Research Fellow Johanna Wessing uses ESTEC's X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS) to evaluate materials for the Euro Materials Ageing Experiment aboard ISS. The XPS, as a surface science tool, allows engineers to analyse test material surface structure and composition to a depth of just two to four nanometres – a nanometre being a billionth of a metre, or, typically, a few dozen individual atoms.