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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

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Latest

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Science & Exploration

Arnaud Prost | Sky, Sea, Space | ESA Explores #12

28/03/2025 314 views 20 likes
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The Cosmic Tornado / Herbig-Haro 49/50 (Webb telescope image)

Week in images: 24-28 March 2025

Discover our week through the lens

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IRIDE first image over Rome
Applications

IRIDE first image presented at ESA–ESRIN

28/03/2025 8715 views 33 likes
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Applications

Earth from Space: Waza National Park, Cameroon

28/03/2025 590 views 21 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures the striking landscape surrounding the Waza National Park in Cameroon.
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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 4390 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

Video 00:05:23
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Science & Exploration

Gaia: Rewriting the story of the Milky Way

28/03/2025 971 views 27 likes
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Image
Science & Exploration

Webb spies a spiral through a cosmic lens

27/03/2025 10317 views 125 likes
Spying a spiral through a cosmic lens (Webb telescope image)
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Story
JADES-GS-z13-1 in the GOODS-S field (NIRCam image)
Science & Exploration

Webb sees galaxy mysteriously clearing fog of early Universe

26/03/2025 1725 views 42 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 3202 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

Story
Hera's autonomous surface feature tracking during Mars flyby
Space Safety

Hera asteroid mission tested self-driving technique at Mars

25/03/2025 1690 views 32 likes
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Space Safety

The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission – The cosmic …

12/03/2025 2580 views 75 likes
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Space Safety

Hera Mars flyby

10/03/2025 4358 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
IRIDE first image over Rome
Applications

IRIDE first image presented at ESA–ESRIN

28/03/2025 8715 views 33 likes
Read
Image
Applications

Earth from Space: Waza National Park, Cameroon

28/03/2025 590 views 21 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures the striking landscape surrounding the Waza National Park in Cameroon.
View
Video 00:02:18
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Applications

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

20/11/2024 1816 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 4024 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’s Coronagraph spacecraft captured by a camera onboard the Occulter spacecraft during the mission's first autonomous formation acquisition
Enabling & Support

Proba-3's first autonomous formation flight

27/03/2025 1808 views 36 likes
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Image
Enabling & Support

Inner space engineering

21/03/2025 1314 views 35 likes
Inner space engineering
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Video 00:02:27
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Enabling & Support

Proba-3 lift-off replay

05/12/2024 3118 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 2417 views
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Science & Exploration

Unveiling Venus

16/05/2014 5993 views
ESA / Science & Exploration / Space Science / Highlights
Highlights from ESA’s Venus Express, following end of routine science observations after eight years orbiting the veiled planet
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    Science & Exploration

    Views of Venus day and night side

    27/06/2006 2120 views 10 likes
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    Views of Venus day and night side
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    Science & Exploration

    Venus Express undergoing thermal vacuum tests

    02/08/2005 962 views 2 likes
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    Venus Express undergoing thermal vacuum tests
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    Science & Exploration

    Venus Express arrives at the MIK 112 hangar

    10/08/2005 1256 views 2 likes
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    Venus Express arrives at the MIK 112 hangar
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    Science & Exploration

    Soyuz-Fregat carrying Venus Express lifts off

    09/11/2005 924 views 4 likes
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    Soyuz-Fregat carrying Venus Express lifts off
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    Science & Exploration

    Venus's polar vortex

    13/03/2008 2610 views 11 likes
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    Venus's polar vortex
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    Science & Exploration

    Venus, southern hemisphere

    29/11/2007 2664 views 21 likes
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    Venus, southern hemisphere
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    Science & Exploration

    Multiple views of Venus’ clouds

    03/04/2007 1005 views 3 likes
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    Multiple views of Venus’ clouds
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    Agency

    The volcanic peak Idunn Mons

    08/04/2010 3069 views 11 likes
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    The volcanic peak Idunn Mons
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    Agency

    Rise and fall of sulphur dioxide

    01/01/1970 1722 views 9 likes
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    Rise and fall of sulphur dioxide
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    Science & Exploration

    Is Venus volcanically active?

    03/12/2012 8192 views 39 likes
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    Is Venus volcanically active?
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    Science & Exploration

    Increasing wind speeds on Venus

    18/06/2013 2061 views 11 likes
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    Increasing wind speeds on Venus
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    Science & Exploration

    Artist’s concept of lightning on Venus

    29/11/2007 5239 views 15 likes
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    Artist’s concept of lightning on Venus
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    Science & Exploration

    Comet-like ionosphere at Venus

    29/01/2013 2592 views 18 likes
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    Comet-like ionosphere at Venus
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    Science & Exploration

    Venus glory

    11/03/2014 4394 views 23 likes
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    Venus glory
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