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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

Focus on

Week in images: 31 March - 04 April 2025

Discover our week through the lens

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Science & Exploration

Amelie Schoenenwald | Science, Exploration, Training | ESA …

04/04/2025 517 views 22 likes
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Image
Science & Exploration

Hubble spots stellar sculptors at work in a nearby galaxy

04/04/2025 1091 views 27 likes
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Story
Thwaites Glacier from Sentinel-1
Applications

How hidden lakes threaten Antarctic Ice Sheet stability

03/04/2025 753 views 5 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 4432 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

Image
Science & Exploration

Hubble spots stellar sculptors at work in a nearby galaxy

04/04/2025 1091 views 27 likes
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Story
Artist view: ExoMars lander
Science & Exploration

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will have a European landin…

30/03/2025 2807 views 40 likes
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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 2035 views 55 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 3256 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

Video 01:07:58
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Space Safety

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

01/04/2025 204 views 1 likes
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Space debris surrounding Earth
Space Safety

ESA Space Environment Report 2025

01/04/2025 9300 views 26 likes
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Image
Space Safety

Hera Mars flyby

10/03/2025 4465 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

Image
Applications

Earth from Space: The shrinking Aral Sea

04/04/2025 1687 views 32 likes
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission shows us what is left of the Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world.
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Earth Observation Excellence Award 2025
Applications

Earth Observation Excellence Award 2025 winners

03/04/2025 814 views 5 likes
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Applications

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

20/11/2024 1872 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 4063 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

Image
Enabling & Support

Firing up HENON’s engine

03/04/2025 785 views 17 likes
Firing up HENON’s engine
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Spectrum liftoff
Enabling & Support

Spectrum takes flight and clears the launch pad

30/03/2025 4694 views 68 likes
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Enabling & Support

Proba-3 lift-off replay

05/12/2024 3178 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 2430 views
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Space Safety

archive

Space Safety
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Stories Videos Images
Story
An artificial Proba-2 view of the solar north pole
Space Safety

A decade probing the Sun

04/11/2019 4935 views 69 likes
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Story
Juventas radar CubeSat
Space Safety

Hera’s radar CubeSat will peer into asteroid’s heart

23/10/2019 2911 views 5 likes
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Story
Space Safety

Automating collision avoidance

22/10/2019 25006 views 63 likes
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Story
NASA's DART impacting asteroid
Space Safety

Driving diamond into asteroid dust helps model planetary de…

19/09/2019 2677 views 13 likes
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Story
Artist impression of ‘Oumuamua
Space Safety

Interstellar 2.0

12/09/2019 21928 views 246 likes
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Story
Hera approaches the impact scene
Space Safety

A burst of asteroid activity in Europe

10/09/2019 13040 views 101 likes
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Story
Measuring cyclones
Space Safety

ESA spacecraft dodges large constellation

03/09/2019 36265 views 426 likes
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Story
Hera at Dimorphos
Space Safety

Europe and US teaming up for asteroid deflection

02/09/2019 30799 views 162 likes
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Story
Asteroid '2019 OK' observed moving against backdrop of stars
Space Safety

Asteroid's surprise close approach illustrates need for mor…

02/08/2019 23968 views 181 likes
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Story
Lutetia
Space Safety

ESA confirms asteroid will miss Earth in 2019

16/07/2019 33097 views 160 likes
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Story
CubeSat approaching asteroid
Space Safety

When CubeSats meet asteroid

28/06/2019 6424 views 78 likes
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Story
DART impacting asteroid
Space Safety

Will DART make its target asteroid go wobbly? Hera will see

27/06/2019 3451 views 54 likes
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Story
Asteroid Ryugu
Space Safety

ESA marks Asteroid Day on 30 June

24/06/2019 5983 views 57 likes
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Story
Melting satellite part
Space Safety

Melting a satellite, a piece at a time

17/06/2019 8754 views 69 likes
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Story
Hera surveying Dimorphos
Space Safety

Hera asteroid mission’s brain to be radiation-hard and fail…

11/06/2019 5085 views 65 likes
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Story
Side by side observation and artist's impression of Asteroid 1999 KW4
Space Safety

Binary asteroids, key to Earth’s planetary defence

04/06/2019 6796 views 56 likes
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Story
Space Safety

ESA and the United Nations team up for space debris

24/05/2019 4651 views 6 likes
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Story
Space Safety

Recognising sustainable behaviour

06/05/2019 12497 views 82 likes
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Story
Hera mission logo
Space Safety

Hera gets its own logo

03/05/2019 2892 views 15 likes
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Story
APEX CubeSat
Space Safety

Hera’s APEX CubeSat will reveal the stuff that asteroids ar…

02/05/2019 6821 views 68 likes
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Story
Juventas CubeSat
Space Safety

Hera’s CubeSat to perform first radar probe of an asteroid

01/05/2019 9534 views 87 likes
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Story
Space Safety

The day the asteroid might hit

26/04/2019 40522 views 152 likes
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Story
SCI impactor on way to Ryugu asteroid
Space Safety

Earth vs. asteroids: humans strike back

22/04/2019 12554 views 148 likes
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Story
Space Safety

Rocket break-up provides rare chance to test debris formati…

12/04/2019 10289 views 100 likes
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Story
Infrared imaging of the impact crater
Space Safety

Self-driving spacecraft set for planetary defence expedition

05/04/2019 6679 views 63 likes
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Story
Bright spots on Ceres
Space Safety

ESA’s Hera asteroid mission borrows eyes of NASA’s Dawn

18/03/2019 7643 views 96 likes
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Story
Space battery overcharge
Space Safety

Testing space batteries to destruction for cleaner skies

12/03/2019 9134 views 95 likes
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Story
Gran Telescopio Canarias telescope
Space Safety

World’s best telescopes target asteroids for ESA’s Hera mis…

05/03/2019 4385 views 38 likes
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Story
Restless star makes for stunning storm
Space Safety

Space weather kicks up a social storm

01/03/2019 9134 views 127 likes
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Story
Hera spacecraft
Space Safety

Close encounters: planning for extra Hera flyby

20/02/2019 5187 views 81 likes
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Story
Hera at Didymos
Space Safety

ESA plans mission to smallest asteroid ever visited

04/02/2019 15568 views 130 likes
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Story
ESA Columbus module
Space Safety

Hundreds of impacts crater ESA’s Columbus science laboratory

23/01/2019 7874 views 95 likes
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Story
Space Safety

Join the #AuroraHunters

17/01/2019 533 views 0 likes
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Story
Hera networking with CubeSats
Space Safety

CubeSats joining Hera mission to asteroid system

07/01/2019 13147 views 117 likes
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Story
Infrared and visible imaging of model satellite
Space Safety

ESA’s e.Deorbit debris removal mission reborn as servicing …

21/12/2018 15750 views 88 likes
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Story
Lunar impact Gif
Space Safety

Learning from lunar lights

07/12/2018 10972 views 150 likes
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Story
Andrea Milani (1948–2018)
Space Safety

Andrea Milani (1948–2018)

29/11/2018 4614 views 28 likes
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Story
Hera validates crater formation models
Space Safety

Berlin museum hosts meeting on Europe’s next asteroid missi…

13/11/2018 2009 views 32 likes
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Story
Coronal mass ejection
Space Safety

ESA rocks space weather

05/11/2018 5284 views 61 likes
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Story
Hera CubeSats deployed
Space Safety

ESA choosing CubeSat companions for Hera asteroid mission

25/09/2018 5530 views 49 likes
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Story
Reducing debris creation
Space Safety

‘Space debris – a journey to Earth’ nominated for design aw…

12/09/2018 6541 views 32 likes
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Story
Hera networking with CubeSats
Space Safety

Germany’s OHB to bring ESA’s Hera asteroid mission to next …

10/08/2018 5996 views 43 likes
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Story
Asteroid Ryugu
Space Safety

Spinning-top asteroids, from Rosetta to Hayabusa2 – and may…

18/07/2018 8141 views 84 likes
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Story
Space Debris
Space Safety

Latest report on space junk

06/07/2018 15819 views 92 likes
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Story
Asteroid Day Postcard
Space Safety

Asteroid Day - ready for delivery

26/06/2018 2609 views 29 likes
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Story
Hera measures Didymoon's size, shape and mass
Space Safety

Earth’s first missions to a binary asteroid, for planetary …

25/06/2018 13261 views 153 likes
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Story
Exploiting Synergies - NEO and Debris Detection Conference
Space Safety

Asteroids and space debris come together for the first time

13/06/2018 4344 views 18 likes
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Story
Space Safety

ESA reentry expertise

30/03/2018 26658 views 134 likes
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Story
Space Safety

ESA Vigil overview

02/02/2018 33560 views 258 likes
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Story
Satellites and rocket bodies will eventually reenter the atmosphere
Space Safety

Clean Space Industrial Days: an event to guarantee the futu…

29/11/2017 1053 views 2 likes
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