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 topic
Operational Simulators: Testing solutions on earth before going to space
Spacecraft require constant oversight from ground experts at every moment of their missions. Whether before launch, in Earth orbit or voyaging across our Solar System, each critical phase of a mission must be simulated by sophisticated software models to confirm that new commands or new on board procedures will work as intended - and that the flight control team is trained for any contingency. And if something does go wrong, solutions must be verified on the simulator before being sent up for use in flight.