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 topicTraditionally, ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) are named after great European visionaries to reflect Europe's deep roots in science, technology and culture.
ATV-1, which made a flawless flight in 2008, was named after French science fiction writer Jules Verne. It was followed in 2011 by ATV-2, named in honour of German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler. ATV-4, aiming for launch in 2013, will carry the name of Albert Einstein, and for the fifth mission, ATV-5, the spacecraft will be named after Belgian physicist Georges Lemaître, father of the Big Bang theory.The upcoming ATV is named after the Italian physicist and space pioneer Edoardo Amaldi, who is also one of the first to propose the creation of a Space Agency at European level.In this A Roll the son of Edoardo Amaldi speaks about his father and his interest in space.
More background information can be found on: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/index.html