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
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
We now have the capability to leave planet Earth. However, if we are to live in space and travel to other planets, we must learn how to survive out there for longer periods of time. We have to recreate in space the vital ingredients for life on Earth.
On the International Space Station many of Earth’s environmental support systems have already been engineered. Examining how some of these key technologies work, allows us to understand the vital ingredients that make Earth such an ideal place to live.
In the DVD 'Ingredients for Life: On Earth and in Space', aimed primarily at 16-18 year old students, we explore how ESA is dealing with scientific and technological challenges, and we answer questions like: Why do we need water and oxygen? How do astronauts get the oxygen they need to survive in space?