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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ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs) were the largest spacecraft ever built in Europe and supplied the International Space Station with cargo, fuel and air and could move the whole Station to higher orbits when needed.
But how do you fuel an ATV so it can move on its own once in space? The answer is very carefully as ESA’s ATV blog editor Julien Harrod finds out in this short video.
The knowledge gained by ESA and European industry from designing, building and operating the complex ATV missions is now being applied to NASA’s Orion spacecraft that will fly astronauts to the Moon and beyond. ESA’s industrial partners are building the European Service Module, ATV’s technical successor for Orion to supply power, air and propulsion during its test flight in 2017.