European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organisation of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space. Established in 1975, ESA has a mandate to promote cooperative space research and technology development among its members and to coordinate their activities in these fields. ESA’s headquarters are located in Paris, France.

ESA science missions are designed to answer some of the most fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the cosmos. By observing and studying distant stars, galaxies and planets, as well as our own planet Earth, we can gain a better understanding of how they came to be – and how they might change in future. This knowledge helps us protect our home planet from hazardous events that could occur elsewhere in the solar system, such as comets or asteroids colliding with Earth. It also provides vital information for planning future missions to explore and utilise solar system resources.

ESA’s robotic spacecraft have made many groundbreaking discoveries during their journeys through deep space, including the first direct evidence of water on Mars, and detailed maps of Jupiter’s moons Ganymede and Callisto revealing evidence for subsurface oceans. Closer to home, ESA satellites are providing unrivalled data on Earth’s changing climate and environment.

As well as conducting cutting-edge science, ESA is also responsible for developing Europe’s launcher capability and ensuring access to space for European citizens and industry. The Ariane rocket family has been delivering payloads into orbit since 1979, making it one of the most successful launch systems ever developed. Today Ariane 5 is Europe’s workhorse launcher, capable of lofting two satellites weighing up to 10 tonnes each into geostationary transfer orbit – enough power for even the most ambitious science missions or constellations of telecommunications satellites.

Looking ahead, ESA is preparing for humanity’s next giant leap with its Aurora programme – a long-term vision for sustainable exploration that includes sending astronauts back to the Moon by 2030 followed by crewsed missions to Mars in coming decades