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 topicWith the last flight of Atlantis scheduled 8 July 2011, the Space Shuttle is retiring. In 30 years the Shuttle has highly contributed to the space conquest and in particular in the framework of the cooperation between NASA and ESA. For the European Space Agency indeed the Shuttle has been a great tool not only to carry its astronauts, but also to launch some interesting hardware: satellites, probes or structures. It started in 1983 with Spacelab, predecessor of the Columbus module, currently attached to the International Space Station. This video recalls this fruitful cooperation and the different missions that happened thanks to the Shuttle.
More backgroud information can be found on: http://www.esa.int/esaHS/index.html