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
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ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst took this image of our planet during his six-month Blue Dot mission on the International Space Station. He wrote: "Amazing to see that weather is such a global phenomenon. So where was the butterfly?"
His mission is called Blue Dot after the American astronomer Carl Sagan's description of our faintly visible planet as “a pale blue dot” as seen on a photograph taken by NASA’s Voyager six billion kilometres from our planet.