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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Launch of Ariane 5 VA259 on 13 December 2022 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, carrying the first Meteosat Third Generation Imager (MTG-I1) satellite.
MTG-I1 flew with two rideshare payloads: Intelsat's Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 telecommunications satellites. All three were placed into geostationary transfer orbit by Ariane 5 before continuing their journeys to their operational geostationary orbits.