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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The deployment of the Drag Augmentation Deorbiting System (ADEO) was captured in front of the ‘eyes’ of the integrated camera onboard the ION satellite carrier, as ADEO unfurled showing its “wings’, and immediately initiated the satellite’s descent. The image shows one edge of the sail - a large aluminium-coated polyamide membrane attached to four carbon-fibre reinforced booms, following its jack-in-a-box deployment.