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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Scientists are getting closer than ever to understanding the origins of the Universe. For the first time, they have glimpsed behind the veil that covers the ‘Big Bang’ with the announcement that the Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarisation – BICEP2 – experiment at the South Pole had spotted the footprints of something called primordial gravitational waves. These waves may be a sign that a theory known as cosmic inflation can be confirmed. For those studying the Big Bang – the beginning of the Universe – this is big news.