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 topicESA's Rosetta mission, due to be launched by Ariane 5 in January 2003, will spend eight years positioning ultra-sensitive equipment to observe Comet Wirtanen. Rosetta will rendezvous with the comet in 2011; in April 2012, it will go into a near orbit around Comet Wirtanen and escort it for 17 months as it flies towards its closest approach with the Sun in September 2113. Ultimately, Rosetta will map and examine the entire surface of Wirtanen using remote-sensing. In addition, a lander will be dropped onto the comet's surface, investigating physical condition and chemical composition. This video index covers the following topics: ESA's ISO and its role in studuying Hale-Bopp; how comets may have played a key role in the formation of Earth and the other planets in our solar system; the Rosetta mission. The index contains interviews, animations, ISO images and footage of instruments to be carried onboard Rosetta; the B-roll contains a more complete set of graphics.