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
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Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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On 19 August 2021, ESA astronaut, Luca Parmitano, and the head of the ESA Climate Office, Susanne Mecklenburg, explored some ice caves at the Gorner Glacier in Switzerland. They are part of an ESA-led expedition to observe the retreat and status of the glacier.
The Gorner Glacier is the second biggest ice mass in the Alps. Situated in Switzerland near the Monte Rosa massif close to Zermatt and its mythic Matterhorn, it is one of the most extensively studied glacier in the world. The “Inside the Glacier” project has been monitoring Gorner since 1999 with a specific focus on the study of underground drainage and the application of novel technologies for the estimation of mass loss.
Read full story: ESA astronaut joins glacier expedition in Alps