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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During ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst’s second mission to the International Space Station he supported over 60 European experiments and became Europe’s second ever Space Station Commander. This clip shares a few highlights from Alexander’s Horizons mission and gives a glimpse into life on the Station.
Alexander was launched to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 6 June 2018. He travelled to the Station with NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev in a Russian Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, spent just over six months in orbit and returned to Earth on 20 December 2018.
Watch this journey from launch to landing for a snapshot of memorable moments.