This is the European Space Agency
dedicated to the peaceful exploration and use of space
for the benefit of humankind.
Established in 1975,
we work together with our 22 Member States
to push the frontiers of science and technology,
and promote economic growth in Europe.
We have offices in eight locations across Europe,
and one at Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana
where we provide independent access to space
for scientific and commercial missions.
Exploring space is humankind’s greatest adventure,
and one that we have been involved with for more than 40 years.
ESA has the technology and expertise
to keep Europe at the heart of the new age of space exploration.
From low-Earth orbit,
we are working to bring humans back to the Moon,
and then onto Mars.
By expanding the frontiers of knowledge,
we are helping to answer the big questions about the Universe.
Space provides us with incredible opportunities
to experiment and discover,
yielding amazing new science.
From Earth’s neighbours to new worlds,
we study stars, galaxies and look for exoplanets.
In addition to astronomy, planetary science and astrophysics,
ESA scientists work on growing food in space,
searching for life on Mars
and understanding our own planet.
From space, satellites are watching over Earth to monitor its health.
Our satellites improve weather forecasts,
observe the long-term effects of climate change,
and contribute valuable knowledge to Earth science.
The Sentinel satellites for the European Copernicus programme
provide vital information on our environment
that can help improve our daily lives.
Satellites also help you find where you are
and get you where you want to go.
We have developed Galileo
Europe’s own global satellite system for navigating the globe.
With over 20 satellites
and a network of ground stations,
Galileo provides precise global positioning information.
Satellites are also connecting the world,
making possible many of the technologies we use every day
like satellite TV and internet access.
ESA is at the heart of Europe’s satellite communications,
developing new telecommunications systems
and nurturing European innovation
bringing industry, science and space technology together.
In order to achieve all this,
we need pioneering technologies that push the boundaries of the possible.
ESA’s world-class laboratories turn science into innovation,
developing hardware and software for use in space and on the ground.
Space technology gets rigorously tested
to ensure it can withstand the harsh environment of space
and the journey to get there.
Travelling to space reliably
is at the heart of ESA’s vision for space transportation.
We launch rockets that carry satellites into orbit,
and are constantly improving the design of our next generation of launchers:
Ariane-6 and Vega-C.
These rockets and the reusable Space Rider
will ensure that Europe continues to have autonomous and affordable access to space.
Once in space,
mission controllers are operating spacecraft around the clock
to watch out planet, study the Universe and explore the Solar System.
We’ve flown more than 80 missions,
including Rosetta, which landed Philae on comet 67P
and Huygens, which touched down on Saturn’s moon.
We operate a worldwide network of ground stations
to keep in contact with missions anywhere.
ESA is dedicated to making space safer.
Our teams help spacecraft to avoid collisions with space debris,
and we are developing new techniques to deorbit dead satellites.
We build high-tech telescopes to scan the night sky for asteroids,
and missions to monitor our Sun.
With these technologies,
early warnings can be delivered
about potential asteroid impacts or hazardous solar activity
that can affect infrastructure on Earth.
ESA’s diverse activities
are all part of a clear vision for Europe in space.
Space is the future and through ESA we are all part of it.
This is ESA.