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 PANGAEA geology training crew scouts the landscapes of Lofoten, a remote Arctic location in Norway, as if they were planning an expedition on the surface of the Moon. Astronauts come here to explore a mountain of crystalised magma and follow the traces of a treasure trove of rare, Moon-like crystals.
Top European planetary scientists expect the astronauts to recognise some of the best-preserved samples on Earth of a rock abundant in the lunar highlands – anorthosites. When the light sets on these hills and valleys, the surface shines because the rocks are made of crystals.
Anorthosites are hard to find because they usually lie deep down in the Earth’s crust, while on the Moon they are spread everywhere.