Agence spatiale européenne
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to space exploration, with 22 member states. Founded in 1975, ESA shapes Europe's space capabilities, ensuring investments in space deliver benefits to European citizens, working across the entire space sector. ESA develops and operates Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications, and astronomy satellites and sends probes to explore the solar system, partnering with agencies like NASA, JAXA and commercial partners like Airbus. Key programs include the development of launch vehicles like Ariane and Vega, the Galileo satellite navigation system, and missions like Rosetta and BepiColombo.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
ESA estimates it needs at least 300 grams of plutonium-238 per year to support its deep-space mission portfolio.
ESA’s Science Programme Committee decided on Arrakihs during a meeting at the Instituto Astrofísico de Canarias in Tenerife on 10–11 June 2026.
The Onward and Upward mission is carrying five CubeSats and one experiment for ESA’s Boost! Program.
The European Space Agency awarded Thales Alenia Space in Italy a contract to build two identical Sentinel-1 Next Generation satellites.
Arrakihs will join ESA’s fleet of Cosmic Observers.
The European Space Agency awarded the Sentinel-1 Next Generation contract to Thales Alenia Space at ILA Berlin on 10 June 2026.
Aleš Svoboda se unirá al astronauta de la ESA Thomas Pesquet, que ha sido nombrado comandante de la misión Vast.
ESA previously funded ENDURE under its General Support Technology Program, and ENDURE now sits under ESA’s Human and Robotic Exploration directorate.
A consortium of ESA Member States led by Spain is designing and developing the Arrakihs instrument.
Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space carried out the initial development phases of Sentinel-1 Next Generation under ESA’s FutureEO programme between 2021 and 2023.
ESA’s Science Programme Committee has adopted the Arrakihs mission and moved it from study into development.
ESA Pilot Luca Parmitano is a two-time ISS astronaut and a past ISS commander.
The ESA selected John McFall in 2022 as part of the Fly! project.
ESA is continuing to contribute to the Artemis program through the European Service Module.
NASA and ESA selected Luca Parmitano for Artemis III.
The Artemis 3 crew will likely include an ESA astronaut.
Italy holds the presidency of the ESA ministerial council until 2028.
The Onward and Upward mission will carry five CubeSats and an experiment developed under ESA’s Boost! program.
Artemis III will use ESA's third European Service Module, ESM-3, for a crewed Earth-orbit test flight.
Artemis III is the first Artemis mission to assign an ESA astronaut to the crew.