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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A visual example of how a lunar expedition would look like with the assistance on the field of the Electronic Field Book (EFB), an all-in-one information system that exchanges data and integrates science activities in remote environments. ESA is developing a digital tool to support lunar exploration from a tablet.
During a mission to the surface of the Moon, the Electronic Field Book would help astronauts identify minerals and rocks, record each step of the space sortie, communicate with scientists on Earth and integrate inputs from external tools such as microscopes, 360-degree cameras or spectrometers. Moonwalkers would be able to check 3D maps, recognise a rock among thousands of mineralogical profiles and collect the best samples.
This technology demonstration kept upgrading itself for the fourth session of Pangaea in Norway in July 2022,. Feedback from the final users pushed for an improvement to the navigation features. Astronauts demanded an eye view to see the terrain in 3D while they moved around unknown territories for self-orientation purposes.