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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Pedro Duque ? Cervantes Mission
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Spanish ESA Astronaut Pedro Duque , Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri and British born NASA astronaut Michael Foale are just weeks away from taking off, in a Soyuz spacecraft, on a twofold mission to the International Space Station.
10:00:59
The Cervantes Mission, which is sponsored by the Spanish Government, has two main goals. To carry out an extensive range of experiments aboard the ISS and to replace the TMA-2 spacecraft which is currently attached to the space station with the TMA-3 craft that the crew are travelling up in.
10:01:19
The Soyuz spacecraft attached to the Space station has to be changed against a new one, every six months. Only if it remains in such top condition can it be used as a lifeboat craft for the resident Space Station crew in the event of an emergency.
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For example, the TMA-1 was used to bring back the ISS expedition 6 crew after the Columbia accident made their return by a Shuttle impossible.
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Until the return to flight