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.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThe first of its kind, ESA Vigil will monitor our active and unpredictable Sun to protect vital infrastructure on Earth, in space as well as space explorers from its violent outbursts
ESA Vigil will be the first of its kind. By keeping an eagle eye on the 'side' of the Sun, the spacecraft will stream a constant feed of near real-time data on potentially hazardous solar activity, before it rolls into view from Earth. The mission will give us advance warning of oncoming solar storms and therefore more time to protect spacecraft in orbit, infrastructure on the ground and explorers now and in the future, unshielded by Earth's magnetic field and vulnerable to our star's violent outbursts. ESA Vigil takes its name from the Latin ‘vigilis exceptus’ meaning sentry, and also ‘vigilia’ meaning wakefulness and the act of keeping a devoted watch.
Launch (planned): 2031
Status: In development
Orbit: Fifth Lagrange point
Closest distance to the Sun: 150 million km