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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Following 16 months of scientific effort, LISA Pathfinder completed its main mission on 30 June 2017, having demonstrated the technology needed to operate ESA’s future LISA space observatory to study gravitational waves – ripples in spacetime predicted by Albert Einstein.
On 18 July, the spacecraft was shut down after being placed in a safe disposal orbit. The final command was sent from ESOC, ESA's European Space Operations Centre, at 19:57 CEST that evening.
That day, scientists, mission controllers and the mission's management team gathered at ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany, for a presentation on the successes of the mission prior to the shut-down. This video was recorded between 16:00-18:00 CEST, and includes highlight presentations on the mission's achievements.
Speakers