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 topicA general presentation of ESA. The whole history of European Space, starting from the ideas of Edoardo Amaldi and Pierre Auger who are the fathers of European Space adventure; the birth of ESRO and ELDO and later of ESA; ESA's organisation, establishments and budget; the fundamental role of the Science Programme with its succesful missions (ESRO-2, Exosat, Hipparcos, Ulysses, Hubble, ISO,Giotto) and future ones (Cluster, Soho, Rosetta, Huygens); the launcher programme Ariane; ESA's contribution to Euroepan telecommunications with ECS,OTS,Marecs, Olympus, ARTES); the remote sensing programme (ERS, Meteosat, MSG); from Spacelab and Eureca to the foreseen contribution to the ISS; technology transfer for the benefit of European citizens.