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 17 November 2016, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet will be the tenth French astronaut to be launched into space, alongside Roscosmos commander Oleg Novitsky and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson.
They will travel from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazachstan on the Soyuz MS-03, a recently upgraded version of Russia’s workhorse that has been in service for almost 50 years.
Thomas’s mission is called Proxima and it is the ninth long-duration mission for an ESA astronaut. It was named after the closed star to the Sun – continuing a tradition of naming missions with French astronauts after stars and constellations.
During Proxima, Thomas will perform more than 50 scientific experiments for ESA and CNES as well as take part in many research activities for the other Space Station partners.
This video includes interview with Thomas Pesquet in English and French.