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
Go to topicThe GENESIS mission will contribute to a highly improved International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) with an accuracy of 1 mm and a long-term stability of 0.1 mm/year. The ITRF is the foundation for all space and ground-based observations in navigation and Earth sciences – monitoring the terrestrial environment and setting it within a set framework for mapping changes over time.
This flying observatory will carry instruments to measure Earth with the main geodetic techniques (very-long-interferometry, satellite laser ranging and satellite navigation). An ultra-stable oscillator on board will ensure the instruments are synchronised and cross-calibrated, to determine biases inherent to each technique, allowing to correct them for superior precision.
GENESIS is one of two missions of the newly approved ESA Optional Programme at CM22, called FutureNAV. Find more information on FutureNAV here.