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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

More about ESA

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

Latest

Story
Proba-3 Occulter eclipsing Sun for Coronagraph spacecraft
Enabling & Support

Proba-3 achieves precise formation flying

08/05/2025 1219 views 15 likes
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Video 00:03:23
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Agency

Exoplanets explained by Nobel Prize winner (part 1) | The 5…

02/05/2025 817 views 30 likes
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ESA’s Biomass lifts off aboard Vega-C

Week in images: 28 April - 02 May 2025

Discover our week through the lens

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Applications

Earth from Space: World’s biggest iceberg

02/05/2025 2654 views 79 likes
The Ocean and Land Colour Instrument on Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured this image of Earth’s biggest iceberg, A23a, on 5 April 2025.
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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 4668 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
Plato’s 24 newly installed cameras
Science & Exploration

Plato grows its many eyes

08/05/2025 805 views 20 likes
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Science & Exploration

Research Fellows in space science 2025

07/05/2025 781 views 18 likes
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Science & Exploration

Gaia: Rewriting the story of the Milky Way

28/03/2025 3164 views 70 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 3519 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 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

Story
Space Safety
Space Safety

Space Safety Programme at 2025 Ministerial Council

08/05/2025 29 views 0 likes
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Space Safety

Close approach of asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8

08/05/2025 218 views 8 likes
Close approach of asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8
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Space Safety

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

01/04/2025 543 views 6 likes
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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
Dotson Ice Shelf from Sentinel-1
Applications

Antarctic glacier caught stealing ice from neighbour

08/05/2025 3043 views 15 likes
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Image
Applications

Earth from Space: World’s biggest iceberg

02/05/2025 2654 views 79 likes
The Ocean and Land Colour Instrument on Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured this image of Earth’s biggest iceberg, A23a, on 5 April 2025.
View
Video 00:02:18
Play
Applications

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

20/11/2024 2116 views 21 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 4178 views
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ESA Φ-week 2021
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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
Proba-3 Occulter eclipsing Sun for Coronagraph spacecraft
Enabling & Support

Proba-3 achieves precise formation flying

08/05/2025 1219 views 15 likes
Read
Image
Enabling & Support

Mission control GO for Biomass launch

28/04/2025 1198 views 28 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 3378 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 2498 views
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Agency

Panoramic postcard

13/11/2014 309 views
ESA / Newsroom / Photos / Highlights
The first panoramic ‘postcard’ from the surface of a comet returned by Rosetta’s lander Philae
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    Science & Exploration

    First comet panoramic

    13/11/2014 336934 views 638 likes
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    Science & Exploration

    Comet panoramic – lander orientation

    13/11/2014 209551 views 315 likes
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