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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Image captured by Andreas Mogensen during his Huginn mission.
Just about 380.000 km away from Earth is the Moon, with a size of roughly a quarter of Earth, the largest moon-to-planet ratio of any planet in the Solar system. Today spacecrafts and rovers are sent to the Moon, in the near future humankind will go back to the surface with the Artemis programme and for the first time see a European astronaut on the surface of the Moon.
An experiment Andreas conducted his Huginn mission is EarthShine, where he got to sit in one of his favorite spots in the Space Station, the Cupola. There he took pictures of the new Moon every month. With Earthshine, the scientists hope to better understand how much sunlight the Earth reflects and how it plays a role in Earth's changing climate.