ESA title

Our Mission

The development of technology – making new things to do new things – is central to ESA's existence. The Agency spends around 8% of its budget on direct research and development, an activity mandated in the ESA Convention. It runs many preparatory programmes to do this, covering various different inventions, each leading activities based on their technical maturity or their field.

  • TDE The Technology Development Element is responsible for early development stages across all service and technology domains, taking cutting-edge ideas and testing their suitability for space applications.
  • GSTP The General Support Technology Programme is an optional programme that takes previously proven innovations through to succeeding stages of engineering, finally evolving fully-tested hardware ready for adoption by future missions.

Our Responsibility

To make sure that the right technology will be available at the right maturity at the right time for future missions

Shaping the Future

Latest

Proba-3's PSLV-XL liftoff
Enabling & Support

Eclipse-making double satellite Proba-3 enters orbit

05/12/2024 15322 views 69 likes
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Enabling & Support

Contract signed for new Arctic Ocean Surveillance Precursor…

05/11/2024 648 views 19 likes
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Enabling & Support

Machine-learning system can detect dark vessels faster

16/10/2024 918 views 3 likes
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Enabling & Support

New optical design library reduces error margin for freefor…

27/09/2024 316 views 2 likes
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Enabling & Support

LUMIO – New CubeSat Illuminating Lunar Impacts

28/06/2024 2226 views 6 likes
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Enabling & Support

R&D Triumphs in Asteroid Exploration

28/06/2024 572 views 1 likes
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Enabling & Support

New podcast explores breakthrough ESA technology

27/03/2024 601 views 8 likes
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PRETTY is testing 'slant' reflectometry
Enabling & Support

Icy first light of shoebox-sized PRETTY CubeSat

07/03/2024 1215 views 7 likes
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Proba-3 satellites
Enabling & Support

Picturing Proba-3 for safer double satellite control

01/02/2024 1073 views 6 likes
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Applying AI to ultrasound exams
Enabling & Support

Just add AI for expert astronaut ultrasound

06/03/2024 1540 views 22 likes
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Enabling & Support

New optical polishing techniques for aspherical and free fo…

12/02/2024 411 views 3 likes
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Enabling & Support

New Models Illuminate Sun-to-Earth Space Weather Dynamics

02/02/2024 763 views 5 likes
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Enabling & Support

High Power W-Band Traveling Wave Tube

29/01/2024 491 views 4 likes
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Enabling & Support

COOL? The Compact Optical clOck Laser

12/01/2024 83 views 0 likes
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Unlimited 3D printing for space
Enabling & Support

Breaking boundaries: A 3D Printer taking space manufacturin…

26/01/2024 1656 views 10 likes
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More items

  • Enabling & Support

    Proba-3’s new view on space weather

    03/07/2024 1961 views 25 likes
    Open item
  • Enabling & Support

    GSTP Celebrates 30 Years of Achievements

    29/09/2023 443 views 4 likes
    Open item
  • Enabling & Support

    Show Me Your Wings: Successful In-flight Demonstration of the ADEO Braking Sail

    27/01/2023 3764 views 13 likes
    Open item
    ADEO Artist Impression

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