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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In August 2021 ESA astronaut, Luca Parmitano, and the head of the ESA Climate Office, Susanne Mecklenburg, joined a science expedition taking place at one of the biggest ice masses in the Alps: the Gorner Glacier.
The pair accompany a scientific team that is documenting how the glacier is changing in response to global warming. Situated near the Monte Rosa massif close to Zermatt, Switzerland, the Gorner Glacier is one of the most extensively studied glaciers in the world. Its front has been retreating drastically since the end of the 19th century, and in the last few years, its retreat has been accelerating.
Read full story: ESA astronaut joins glacier expedition in Alps