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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Over 23 000 objects larger than 5-10 cm are orbiting Earth.They result from about 4900 launches conducted since the start of the space age.The majority of the catalogued objects originate from in-orbit break-ups - more than 240 explosions - as well as fewer than 10 known collisions.This week at ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, the 6th European Conference on Space Debris is taking place providing a forum for the space community which is now trying to develop solutions to cope with this growing concern.