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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Russian Cosmonaut Aleksei Ovtchinin passes the command of the International Space Station to Luca Parmitano in an official ceremony held on 2 October 2019. The ESA astronaut is the third European and the first Italian to have such responsibilities on the Space Station. Luca is Commander for Expedition 61, and for the second part of his second space mission known as Beyond.
Credits: ESA/NASA