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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Members of ESA’s astronaut class of 2022 embarked on their first overseas field trip. They visited NASA’s facilities at the Johnson Space Centre (JSC) in Houston, Texas, USA, to get familiar with the environment where they will spend a significant part of their training once assigned to a mission.
Their week-long stay at JSC offered an ideal opportunity for the group to familiarize with their upcoming training environments, meet their soon-to-be colleagues and counterparts as well as taking part in specialized training events.
First stop for ESA’s astronaut candidates: an immersive experience exploring the Space Station architecture through a full-scale mock-up. During their visit they were guided by ESA astronaut and lead of astronaut operations at the European Astronaut Centre, Alexander Gerst.