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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On 24th of November Samantha Cristoforetti will fly to the International Space station aboard a Soyuz from Baikonur,
Selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009, Samantha Cristoforetti joined ESA in September 2009 and completed basic astronaut training in November 2010.
In July 2012 she was assigned to an Italian Space Agency ASI mission aboard the International Space Station, to be launched on a Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in 2014.
This will be the second long-duration ASI mission and the eighth long-duration mission for an ESA astronaut. Samantha will be the first Italian woman to fly in space.