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 topicThere are moments in space exploration that will never be forgotten. One of these will forever be called The night of the comet.
It was 25 years ago that the European Space Agency's Giotto mission obtained the very first pictures of the nucleus of a comet. The high-risk flyby attracted intense public interest.
ESA recently celebrated this anniversary, bringing together leading actors of the Giotto mission. Many of them are scientists who today are working on ESA's Rosetta mission whose probe has just entered a long period of hibernation before its cometary encounter.