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 topicIn the evening of Friday, 17 December 2010, the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft docked with the International Space Station carrying ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli and his crewmates Dmitri Kondratyev and Catherine Coleman. They will stay in orbit for six months and return to Earth in May 2011.
ESA’s third long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) began Wednesday, 15 December 2010, when the Soyuz spacecraft was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
After circling the globe some 35 times, the spacecraft docked at 21:12 CET (20:12 GMT) on Friday, 17 December 2010.