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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ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori (IT) flew on Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134 to the International Space Station in May 2011. STS-134 was the penultimate mission of the US Space Shuttle programme, and Vittori was the last non-American to fly aboard the Shuttle.
The mission name and patch were chosen in a competition organised by the Italian space agency ASI and the Italian air force. Elementary and middle school students all over Italy were challenged to come up with a name and logo for Vittori's mission, with the hint that this flight carried the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer AMS-02. More than 2000 suggestions from around 200 schools were received. The winning name 'DAMA' was suggested by Alessia Casasanta, from the Benedetto Croce school in Quadri, Chieti. She had proposed the name deriving from the initials of 'dark matter', DA and MA. The logo was designed by 11-year-old Elena Nadalini, from the Dante Alighieri elementary school in Nonantola, Modena. AMS-02 inspired her to sketch an antimatter particle emerging from the trail of the Space Shuttle, with the Italian flag in the background.