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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Irish national trainee Eóin Tuohy has his retina imaged by ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer during training for Retinal Diagnostics at ESA's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. Eóin is part of the team behind the technology demonstration, and helped adapt an ocular lens used for routine clinical diagnostic operations, for use with a tablet in space.
Matthias and his NASA colleague Raja Chari (left) are two of the first astronauts to try the technology in orbit. Images of their retinas taken during spaceflight will be used to train an artificial intelligence (AI) model. All going well, this model will be used to automatically detect changes in the optic nerve of astronauts, known as Space-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).