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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Whenever someone says 'satellite' people often think of huge and heavy telecommunication satellites with massive solar panels. But with the cost and size of consumer electronics decreasing exponentially; the same is happening for certain satellite technologies. Today nano-technology allows us to develop and build compact satellites the size of a shoebox: so called ‘cubesats’. These satellites open a world of opportunities not only for space agencies such as ESA but also for universities, their researchers and students. The small size of these satellites reduces not only their production costs but also their launch costs. And so it seems the future favours the small…