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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Dedicated to ESA’s Earth-observing activities, ESRIN, in Frascati, Italy, is the European centre of excellence for exploitation of Earth observation missions.
The mission and payload operations of ESA's Earth observation satellites are managed here and ESRIN is the primary source for the acquisition, distribution and exploitation of data from these and other non-ESA satellites.
Within ESRIN a key role in Europe's space effort has been undertaken with the development of the new small launcher, Vega, which took its maiden voyage in February 2012.
ESRIN also designs and develops all ESA-wide software for corporate applications and is responsible for developing security measures for classified space programmes.
Finally, based at ESRIN is the European Centre for Space Records (ECSR). The ECSR appraises and preserves the valuable technical records of completed ESA projects together with their management archives to safeguard this valuable knowledge for generations to come.
For information about ESRIN, please have a look at the ESRIN brochure.