About ESA
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.
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Space in Member States
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Spain
Estonia
Finland
France
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
The Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Czechia
Romania
United Kingdom
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Science & Exploration
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicAstronauts
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Enabling & Support
Making space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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European Robotic Arm (ERA)
The European Robotic Arm [ERA] is a relocatable manipulator arm for space applications. This video, made in 1999 prior to its launch shows how ESA developed ERA for the International Space Station [ISS]. The purpose of ERA is to assemble and maintain the various elements of the Russian segment of the ISS with the help of a cosmonaut in Extra-Vehicular Activity [EVA]. This video provides background footage on the development and testing of ERA at Fokker Space, Leiden, and ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk; ERA deployment graphics; ISS graphics showing elements contributed by participating countries; and interviews with ERA project experts, Uwe Berkes (ESA), and Caspar Hofkamp (Fokker Space). This A-roll features soundbites by ERA experts, Uwe Berkes (ESA), and Caspar Hofkamp (Fokker Space), on the development of ERA. Footage is arranged as follows: 3-D graphics of Japanese contribution to ISS; 3-D graphics of Russian contribution to ISS; 3-D graphics of American contribution to ISS; 3-D graphics of European contribution to ISS; first movements of ERA joints on flat floor facility at Fokker Space; integration of ERA in flat floor facility, Fokker Space; first movements of ERA in flat floor fcility, Fokker Space; ERA during testing at Large Space Simulator (LSS), ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands; underwater training facility; launch of Russian Proton, Baikonur, Russia, November 1998.
