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 topicThe 4th ESA long duration mission aboard the Internatioanl Space Station will start next 21 December from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
ESA astronaut André Kuipers, and his crewmates will fly aboard a Soyuz capsule that will dock to the orbital facilty two days later.
André and his crewmates Oleg Kononenko and astronaut Don Pettit will stay in space until mid-May 2012.
For the Dutch astronaut it will be his second trip in space but this time he will stay more than five months up there, conducting various experiments covering a range of disciplines: human research, fluid physics, materials science, radiation and solar research, biology and technology demonstrations. He will also be involved in the ISS' activities, for example overseing the next ATV mission docking.
This A Roll gives an overview of the mission with interview of the ESA astronaut in english, and dutch in the B roll. André Kuipers' crew includes cosmonaut
More backgroud information can be found on: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/PromISSe/index.html