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 video covering ESA's achievements in the Space Science sector. The video includes the following:
00:20 Giotto approaches Halley's comet
00:51 Still of the Earth against star background [Science Photo Library]
01:03 Animation Mars rotation
01:07 Animation Cassini/Huygens arrives at Saturn
01:17 Animation Cassini releases Huygens probe towards Titan
01:25 Animation Huygens parachutes through Titan'a atmosphere
01:31 Animation Huygens lands on Titan's ocean
01:46 Stills Halley's comet
01:50 ISO image of comet Wirtanen
01:57 Rosetta in space
02:04 Rosetta's Lander at Comet Wirtanen
02:10 Animation: The Solar System, pull out from Sun
02:22 Still Venus
02:30 Image of Mars [Science Photo Library]
02:35 Animation Mars Express in space
02:41 Mars Express Lander animation
02:47 Lander camera surveys area
02:49 Rover leaves Lander
02:54 Wide shot rover and Lander
02:58 Still Mercury [Science Photo Library]
03:11 Animation starfield
03:18 First Hubble servicing mission
03:21 Hubble in shuttle cargo bay
03:24 Hubble in space just after deployment
03:30 Hubble starfield pictures
03:35 Hubble image of birth of stars
03:41 Still picture of IUE against star background
03:51 Animation Hipparcos in orbit
04:01 Animated flight through Pleiades star system
04:14 Impression of ancient star map
04:16 Hipparcos animated inside impression of universe
04:24 Animation starfield
04:26 Animation ISO in space
04:33 Animation ISO close-up of helium vent
04:43 Animation ISO against infrared background
04:50 ISO image of water source
04:53 ISO image of comet Hale Bopp
04:56 ISO image of Jupiter
04:58 ISO in space
05:04 Animation XMM in space
05:13 'Nest of mirrors' manufacture
05:18 Telescope housing covers
05:27 Inspection of mirrors by engineer
05:32 Visible light image of starfield, mix to infrared view
05:41 Still Integral space craft against star background
05:47 Animation gamma ray burst
05:51 Still FIRST spacecraft against starfield
06:04 Animation primordial infrared background
06:07 Still picture PLANCK spacecraft against starfield
06:23 Impression of GAIA using Hipparcos animation
06:35 Still pictures of LISA spacecraft
06:37 Animation of Laser beam between each spacecraft
06:45 Big Bang and ripples in space
06:53 SOHO 'Christmas Movie' from instrument LASCO. Sun against Capricorn constellation.
07:07 SOHO spacecraft moves from Earth to Sun
07:15 SOHO at Sun; zoom into Sun
07:27 SOHO in clean room
07:35 EIT image of Sun
07:39 Close up of activity at limb of Sun
07:42 View of Sun from Earth using time lapse camera
07:51 SOHO in orbit around Sun showing relationship with Earth's orbit
08:06 Ulysses in space animation
08:15 Ulysses at Sun
08:21 Ulysses moves over South Pole
08:37 Ulysses in space
08:50 SOHO EIT picture of the Sun
08:59 Cluster animation fly-through
09:08 Cluster spacecraft in clean room
09:11 Animation of atmosphere surrounding Earth in space
09:15 Animation of 3D-view of atmosphere with active ions
09:19 Aurora Borealis
09:26 Cluster flies through Earth's magnetic field
09:36 Sun as seen from Earth
09:50 Offices of Solar early warning centre at Paris Observatory, Meudon
09:53 SOHO data on the World Wide Web
09:58 Close-up of SOHO image of sunspot
10:01 View of Sun from Earth
10:06 Solar mass ejection, as seen by SOHO's EIT instrument
10:10 Office equipment
10:13 Electricity pylons
10:17 Astronauts in space working on first Hubble servicing mission
10:22 SOHO at Sun
10:32 Animation of Solar System pull-out from Sun
10:57 Starfield camera moves up to find Polaris
11:05 The end