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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The ride to the International Space Station sees astronauts launched on top of a rocket fuelled by 300 tonnes of propellant. Where on Earth do astronauts take off? When do they experience weightlessness for the first time? And how long does the trip take?
Watch in just over a minute the events from launch to docking. This video is based on a training lesson for ESA astronauts, and it features footage taken from inside the Soyuz spacecraft.
To find out more, watch the extended versions: Soyuz launch sequence explained and Soyuz rendezvous and docking explained.
Credits: ESA/NASA/Roscosmos/Google Earth