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 topicIn the late 1990s, NASA plans to conduct an unmanned sample-collection mission to Mars. This video depicts a possible mission scenario as follows: launch animation; two Titan 4 payloads make their way to Mars; payloads move into elliptical orbit using aerocapture technique; ascent vehicle and Rover on lunar surface; Rover collects samples, places them into ascent vehicle; vehicle makes rendezvous with orbiter, which makes its way back to Earth; deployment of Earth aerocapture capsule, vehicle released into Space Station's orbit; Station's orbital manoeuvring vehicle retrieves re-entry vehicle; returned to Earth using shuttle.
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