About ESA
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.
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Space in Member States
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Spain
Estonia
Finland
France
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
The Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Czechia
Romania
United Kingdom
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Science & Exploration
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicAstronauts
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Enabling & Support
Making space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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ESA Euronews: Spacewalk
In May this year, a serious leak of ammonium coolant caused an emergency on the International Space Station. There was only one way to fix the problem: go out into the vacuum on a spacewalk. In July ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano had to end a sortie into space after just an hour and a half of work as water leaked into his helmet. In both cases, the astronauts and ground control handled the situation with astonishing cool considering the high-stakes environment they were working in.
In training, like in a real spacewalk, astronauts always have to keep an eye on their own and their crewmate's safety. It's tough. Learning to work in the void can be exhausting. But the training takes them closer to that most extraordinary dream: the chance to walk in space. Euronews looks at the history of spacewalks and the intensive training behind them.
