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
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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 astronaut Thomas Pesquet started his six-month Proxima mission on the International Space Station on 19 November 2016 when he arrived on the Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft with NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and commander Oleg Novitsky.
Just four days later he gave his first press conference from European space laboratory Columbus to press at ESA’s astronaut centre in Cologne, Germany.
Thomas answered questions about the launch, life in space, the experiments he has run so far and how he is talking with friends and family.
Follow Thomas throughout his mission via thomaspesquet.esa.int