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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

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

Latest

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Applications

Biomass launch highlights

29/04/2025 483 views 27 likes
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Story
Gaia spots odd star family
Science & Exploration

Gaia spots odd family of stars desperate to leave home

29/04/2025 1623 views 38 likes
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Science & Exploration

ACES in space

28/04/2025 727 views 36 likes
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Solar Orbiter’s widest high-resolution view of the Sun

Week in images: 21-25 April 2025

Discover our week through the lens

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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 4596 views
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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.

Germany Germany Austria Austria Belgium Belgium Denmark Denmark Spain Spain Estonia Estonia Finland Finland France France Greece Greece Hungary Hungary Ireland Ireland Italy Italy Luxembourg Luxembourg Norway Norway The Netherlands The Netherlands Poland Poland Portugal Portugal Czechia Czechia Romania Romania United Kingdom United Kingdom Slovenia Slovenia Sweden Sweden Switzerland Switzerland

Science & Exploration

Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe

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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

Story
Gaia spots odd star family
Science & Exploration

Gaia spots odd family of stars desperate to leave home

29/04/2025 1623 views 38 likes
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Image
Science & Exploration

A visual feast of galaxies, from infrared to X-ray

29/04/2025 1051 views 31 likes
Webb: A visual feast of galaxies, from infrared to X-ray
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Video 00:05:23
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Science & Exploration

Gaia: Rewriting the story of the Milky Way

28/03/2025 2991 views 67 likes
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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 3458 views
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Science & Exploration

Space science from home: resources for children and adults

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

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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

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Space Safety

Media briefing: Europe's top experts address the growing th…

01/04/2025 462 views 6 likes
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Story
Space debris surrounding Earth
Space Safety

ESA Space Environment Report 2025

01/04/2025 14575 views 39 likes
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Space Safety

Hera Mars flyby

10/03/2025 4758 views 86 likes
Hera Mars flyby
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Space Safety

James Webb Space Telescope will study asteroid 2024 YR4

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

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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

Story
Biomass takes to the skies
Applications

Biomass launched to count forest carbon

29/04/2025 11148 views 101 likes
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Image
Applications

Earth from Space: French Guiana

25/04/2025 1649 views 40 likes
Copernicus Sentinel-1 captured this radar image over French Guiana – home to Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, where ESA’s Biomass mission is being prepared for liftoff on 29 April onboard a Vega-C rocket.
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Applications

ESA’s Space Systems for Safety and Security (4S) programme

20/11/2024 2061 views 20 likes
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Press Release N° 1–2024
Applications

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 4155 views
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ESA Φ-week 2021
Applications

Register for Φ-week

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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

Story
Advanced Concepts Team’s ELOPE challenge
Enabling & Support

‘ELOPE’ with ESA’s moon landing guidance competition

01/05/2025 155 views 9 likes
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Enabling & Support

Mission control GO for Biomass launch

28/04/2025 678 views 15 likes
Mission control GO for Biomass launch
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Video 00:02:27
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Enabling & Support

Proba-3 lift-off replay

05/12/2024 3354 views 64 likes
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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

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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 2477 views
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Agency

IXV

20/03/2014 1668 views
ESA / Newsroom / Highlights

IXV, the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle, will be launched by Vega on 2015 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou.

This ESA project objectives tackle the basic European needs for reentry from Low Earth Orbit, consolidating the knowledge necessary for the development of any future European reentry system while allowing risk limitation.

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    IXV completes flawless mission

    24/03/2015 8079 views 36 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    IXV prepares for liftoff

    19/02/2015 9111 views 5 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    Replay of Vega liftoff VV04 with IXV

    11/02/2015 73145 views 104 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    Highlights from lift off to splashdown of the IXV mission

    11/02/2015 22932 views 61 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    IXV ready for liftoff

    10/02/2015 27349 views 66 likes
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    Applications

    IXV recovery ship

    05/02/2015 5751 views 4 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    IXV: technologies tested

    03/02/2015 39976 views 82 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    IXV: mastering atmospheric reentry

    27/01/2015 17875 views 17 likes
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  • Video
    Enabling & Support

    IXV fit to fly

    06/10/2014 3576 views 1 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    IXV gets ready to fly

    05/09/2014 3803 views 0 likes
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    Enabling & Support

    IXV Preparation

    18/03/2014 3774 views 4 likes
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    Agency

    IXV Splash down

    02/07/2013 23180 views 24 likes
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