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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Powered by the Sun: All this functionality is powered by twin 1 x 5-m-long solar wings, supplying about supply 1.9 kilowatts of power – about the same as an average European household’s consumption. Mounted onto these panels are more than 2500 state-of-the-art gallium arsenide solar cells, ‘triple junction’ in design – meaning they are composed of three successive optimized for different frequencies of sunlight. On top of the solar cells is a protective glass layer, otherwise the cells would be eaten away by the space environment in a matter of months. Two ‘Solar array drive mechanisms’ slowly rotate the solar wings to keep them pointed Sunward at all times, steered using the satellite’s Sun sensors.
#TwelveThingsYouNeverKnewAboutGalileoSatellites