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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 Space Shop

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 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 ESA Champions

Latest

The Cosmic Tornado / Herbig-Haro 49/50 (Webb telescope image)

Week in images: 24-28 March 2025

Discover our week through the lens

IRIDE first image over Rome

IRIDE first image presented at ESA–ESRIN

28/03/2025 7120 views 26 likes

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 4386 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

JADES-GS-z13-1 in the GOODS-S field (NIRCam image)

Science & Exploration

Webb sees galaxy mysteriously clearing fog of early Universe

26/03/2025 1687 views 42 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 3202 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 safety and security

Protecting our Pale Blue Dot The story so far Plans for the future

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

Hera's autonomous surface feature tracking during Mars flyby

Hera asteroid mission tested self-driving technique at Mars

25/03/2025 1658 views 31 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

IRIDE first image over Rome

IRIDE first image presented at ESA–ESRIN

28/03/2025 7120 views 26 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 4021 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

Proba-3’s Coronagraph spacecraft captured by a camera onboard the Occulter spacecraft during the mission's first autonomous formation acquisition

Enabling & Support

Proba-3's first autonomous formation flight

27/03/2025 1710 views 35 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 2417 views

Agency

Teacher's pack

15654 views 10 likes

ESA / Education

The 11 worksheets of the 'Watching over the Earth' teacher's pack can be downloaded using the links below.

Introduction - presentation of the teacher's pack.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Earth observation satellites - an introduction to the main types of Earth observation satellites and the two main types of orbits: geostationary and polar.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
The Earth viewed from space - focuses on the geographical aspects of the globe.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Humans on Earth - discusses human population distribution around the world. It also offers views at different scales: continental, regional, and local.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Africa and environmental diversity - takes a look at the natural environments on the African continent and their geographical distribution in vast banded areas.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Asia and rice-growing - focuses on rice-growing in Vietnam. As a crop, rice has extensively contributed to the high population density on the Asian continent, which accounts for 3 of the 4 global regions with the highest population density.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Europe: a developed continent - focuses on the major urban concentrations which makes Europe the prosperous and dynamic continent it is.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Living species and their environment - discusses the concepts of ecosystem and food chain.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Water on Earth - describes the water cycle on Earth.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Volcanoes: Mount Etna, a case study - focuses on the main volcanic phenomena, in Europe in particular and discusses the relationships between human societies and volcanism.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Flood monitoring - discusses risks and natural disasters around the world, taking a s an example the floods caused by the Rhône (2003) and Elbe (2002) rivers.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands
Colours in satellite imagery - addresses the concepts of light and colour.
Deutsch	English	Español	Français	Italiano	Nederlands

Related Links

Watching over the Earth

4997 views 18 likes

Teacher's pack

3654 views 10 likes

The Living Planet Programme