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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 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

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Science & Exploration

Webb wows with incredible detail in star-forming system

07/03/2025 2375 views 75 likes
Webb wows with incredible detail in star-forming system
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Ariane 6 VA263 liftoff

Week in images: 03-07 March 2025

Discover our week through the lens

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Rendering of global mobile connectivity
Applications

ESA and GSMA Foundry empower industry to achieve seamless g…

07/03/2025 568 views 16 likes
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Science & Exploration

Drilling into Mars

26/02/2025 2277 views 73 likes
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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 4194 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

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Science & Exploration

Webb wows with incredible detail in star-forming system

07/03/2025 2375 views 75 likes
Webb wows with incredible detail in star-forming system
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Story
ESA Astronaut Reserve group two at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre
Science & Exploration

The ART of training – part two

07/03/2025 882 views 12 likes
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Science & Exploration

Completing the spacecraft – Let’s Smile (episode 2)

06/03/2025 335 views 14 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 3048 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

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ESA's Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis
Space Safety

First CubeSat joins ESA's Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis

05/03/2025 2783 views 46 likes
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Space Safety

Asteroid 2024 YR4 impact risk rises and falls

25/02/2025 1690 views 21 likes
Asteroid 2024 YR4 impact risk rises and falls
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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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Space Safety

Trailer Space Safety Programme at ESA

02/12/2024 1200 views 10 likes
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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
Rendering of global mobile connectivity
Applications

ESA and GSMA Foundry empower industry to achieve seamless g…

07/03/2025 568 views 16 likes
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Applications

Earth from Space: Tirana, Albania

07/03/2025 6993 views 46 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Albania’s capital Tirana and its surroundings.
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Applications

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

20/11/2024 1629 views 17 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 3915 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

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Enabling & Support

Close-up of Proba-3’s Coronagraph, ready to dance

07/03/2025 596 views 18 likes
Close-up of Proba-3’s Coronagraph, ready to dance
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Enabling & Support

Ariane 6 takes flight for the second time

06/03/2025 7099 views 131 likes
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Enabling & Support

Proba-3 lift-off replay

05/12/2024 2958 views 61 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 2355 views
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Science & Exploration

Video replay: STS-128 launch

29/08/2009 257 views 1 likes
ESA / Science & Exploration / Human and Robotic Exploration / Alissé Mission

Replay of the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-128 mission. Discovery launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 29 August at 05:59 CEST (click top right for sound).

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Alissé mission

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Science & Exploration

Video replay: STS-128 launch

29/08/2009 1037 views 1 likes
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ESA astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Frank De Winne participate in a television interview
Science & Exploration

Video replay: ESA astronauts answer questions during inflig…

793 views 1 likes
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STS-128 crew portrait
Science & Exploration

Two ESA astronauts meet on International Space Station

31/08/2009 2778 views 1 likes
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Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-128 mission
Science & Exploration

ESA astronaut launched to ISS to deliver and retrieve hardw…

29/08/2009 1534 views 1 likes
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Christer Fuglesang

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International Space Station

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Swedish National Space Board

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STS-128 docking

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STS-128 hatch opening

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 Alissé on YouTube

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