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ESA title

About ESA

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.

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ESA - United space in Europe

This is ESA ESA facts Member States & Cooperating States Funding Director General Top management For Member State Delegations European vision European Space Policy ESA & EU Space Councils Responsibility & Sustainability Annual Report Calendar of meetings Corporate news

Establishments & sites

ESA Headquarters ESA ESTEC ESA ESOC ESA ESRIN ESA EAC ESA ESAC Europe's Spaceport ESA ESEC ESA ECSAT Brussels Office Washington Office

Working with ESA

Business with ESA ESA Commercialisation Gateway Law at ESA Careers Cyber resilience at ESA IT at ESA Newsroom Partnerships Merchandising Licence Education Open Space Innovation Platform Integrity and Reporting Administrative Tribunal Health and Safety

More about ESA

History ESA Historical Archives Exhibitions Publications Art & Culture ESA Merchandise Kids Diversity ESA Brand Centre

Latest

ESA's fourth deep space antenna, in New Norcia, Australia

Enabling & Support

ESA inaugurates deep space antenna in Australia

04/10/2025 2609 views 42 likes

Heads of space agencies and offices met at the IAF Global Space Leaders Summit alongside IAC 2025 on 30 September 2025.

Week in images: 29 September - 3 October 2025

Discover our week through the lens

Press Release N° 24–2024

Science & Exploration

ESA and NASA join forces to land Europe’s rover on Mars

ESA and NASA are consolidating their cooperation on the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission with an agreement that ensures important US contributions, such as the launch service, elements of the propulsion system needed for landing on Mars and heater units for the Rosalind Franklin rover.

16/05/2024 5586 views

Space in Member States

Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.

Science & Exploration

Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe

Go to topic

Programmes

Space Science Human and Robotic Exploration

Astronauts

Sophie Adenot

Pablo Álvarez Fernández

Rosemary Coogan

Samantha Cristoforetti

Alexander Gerst

Raphaël Liégeois

Matthias Maurer

Andreas Mogensen

Luca Parmitano

Thomas Pesquet

Marco Sieber

Missions

Juice Euclid Webb Solar Orbiter BepiColombo Gaia ExoMars Cheops Exoplanet missions More missions

Activities

International Space Station Orion service module Gateway Concordia Caves & Pangaea Benefits

Latest

Enceladus jets and shadows

Science & Exploration

Cassini proves complex chemistry in Enceladus ocean

01/10/2025 18517 views 69 likes

Press Release N° 49–2024

Science & Exploration

ESA 3D prints first metal part on the International Space Station

The first metal 3D printer in space, a collaboration between ESA and Airbus, has printed its first metal product on the International Space Station, a breakthrough in crew autonomy for future long-duration exploration missions.

06/09/2024 4334 views

Science & Exploration

Space science from home: resources for children and adults

A selection of activities to pass time and learn more about space science

Space Safety

Protecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit

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About space safety

Protecting our Pale Blue Dot Space Safety at ESA

Asteroids

Asteroids and Planetary Defence Asteroid danger explained Flyeye telescope: asteroid detection Hera mission: asteroid deflection Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre

Space junk

About space debris Space debris by the numbers Space Environment Report In space refuelling, refurbishing and removing

Safety from space

Clean Space ecodesign Zero Debris Technologies Space for Earth Supporting Sustainable Development

Space weather

Solar Hazards ESA Vigil: providing solar warning Space Weather Warning Network

Latest

French meteorite challenges asteroid hazard models

02/10/2025 1167 views 12 likes

James Webb Space Telescope will study asteroid 2024 YR4

Webb will provide a more accurate estimate of the asteroid's size

Applications

Using space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth

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Observing the Earth

Observing the Earth Future EO Copernicus Meteorology Space for our climate Satellite missions

Connectivity

Connectivity and Secure Communications ARTES Moonlight Civil security from space

Satellite navigation

Satellite navigation Galileo EGNOS NAVISP Genesis LEO-PNT

Commercialisation

ESA Commercialisation Gateway Open Space Innovation Platform Business Incubation ESA Space Solutions

Latest

ESA has signed with Thales Alenia Space for the phase B2 of SAGA, a mission for European secure communications.

Advancing Europe’s quantum secure communications from space

01/10/2025 1450 views 18 likes

Press Release N° 1–2024

Media invitation: Last chance to see the EarthCARE cloud and aerosol satellite in Europe

On 1 February, media representatives have the unique opportunity of seeing the EarthCARE satellite up close in the cleanroom at Airbus facilities in Friedrichshafen, Germany, before the spacecraft is packed up and shipped to California, USA, for a launch scheduled in May.

11/01/2024 4521 views

ESA Φ-week 2021

Register for Φ-week

Enabling & Support

Making space accessible and developing the technologies for the future

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Building missions

Space Engineering and Technology Test centre Laboratories Concurrent Design Facility Preparing for the future Shaping the Future Discovery and Preparation Advanced Concepts Team

Space transportation

Space Transportation Ariane Vega Space Rider Future space transportation Boost! Europe's Spaceport Launches from Europe's Spaceport from 2012

Flying missions

Operations ESA ground stations Ground Systems Engineering

Latest

ESA's fourth deep space antenna, in New Norcia, Australia

Enabling & Support

ESA inaugurates deep space antenna in Australia

04/10/2025 2609 views 42 likes

Juice approaches Earth

Enabling & Support

Blog: Juice's lunar-Earth flyby

Follow for the latest updates as ESA's Jupiter mission swings through the Earth system this summer

Press Release N° 8–2024

Enabling & Support

Call for interest: Ariane 6 launch media events at Europe’s Spaceport

Media representatives are invited to express their interest in attending media events at Europe's Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, for the first flight of Europe's new rocket Ariane 6. Journalists wishing to participate in either or both the pre-launch and launch media programmes detailed below, are asked to submit their application via ESA’s media accreditation page by Friday 1 March 2024.

19/02/2024 2768 views

Agency

Schedule

4506 views 22 likes

ESA / Education / ESA Academy Experiments programme

This page was last updated on: 11 August 2025

1. Listen and Learn
Announcement of opportunity released	3 July 2025
Follow the ESA Academy Experiments Programme e-learning module	3 July – 16 November 2025

2. Consult and Confer
Contact ESA Academy for help and questions	1 September – 16 November 2025
Information Session 1	17 September 2025
Information Session 2	8 October 2025

3. Submit and Succeed
Deadline submission of proposal	16 November 2025
Shortlisting announcement	NLT end of December 2025
Selection meetings with Selection committee	NLT end of January 2026
Selection announcement	NLT February 2026

4. Perform and Publish
Design Phase	from February until May-June 2026
Assembly and Testing phase	from May-June until July-September 2026
Campaigns	August-November 2026

A workshop will be organised to provide students with the fundamentals of industry-standard engineering practices, project management, risk mitigation, effective fundraising, outreach techniques, and more. Details and dates for the workshop will be announced shortly. Please keep an eye on this webpage for the latest updates.

All dates shown are indications and are subject to change without prior notice or after consultation with selected teams on an ad hoc basis in order to avoid scheduling conflicts with university exams or other commitments/engagements. ESA Academy will attempt to notify participants of any schedule change in due time. Please check this page regularly for updates. NLT=No Later Than.

For experiments destined for the ICECubes Service on the International Space Station or for Space Rider, the schedule will be drawn specifically to the teams' capabilities and launch opportunities and development period will average around 12 to 24 months.