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.
With European and Russian cooperation severed, ESA drafted plans for a European descent vehicle for ExoMars, making the mission unlikely to launch before 2028.
Europe’s Vega-C rocket is slated to launch ESA’s EarthCARE mission in early 2024.
ESA member states approved a 16,900,000,000 EUR budget over three years at the Ministerial Council Meeting in November, about 16.6 percent more than the spending plan approved in 2019.
The European Parliament and European Union member states agreed to contribute 2,400,000,000 EUR toward a six billion euro IRIS2 satellite communications campaign with ESA.
The European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover was scheduled to launch in September 2022 on a Russian Proton rocket and descend on a Roscosmos-built landing platform in 2023.
In early 2018 Airbus was awarded the prime contract for the EGNOS V3 Implementation Phase by ESA on behalf of the European Union Agency for the Space Program (previously GSA).
Arianespace and the European Space Agency will establish an independent commission to investigate the Vega C launch failure on 2022-12-20 that resulted in the loss of two satellites.
The European Space Agency funded Swedish Space Corp.'s optical ground terminal.
The Sentinel-4 instrument builds on experience from previously proven ESA instruments Sciamachy and Tropomi, which were also built by Airbus.
ESA managed the Vega C development program in association with 12 of the Agency’s Member States.
Vega C’s inaugural launch operated by ESA occurred successfully on 2022-07-13.
Airbus Defence and Space delivered the first Sentinel-4/UVN multispectral instrument flight model to the European Space Agency.
ESA and OHB have signed a contract to design and construct the Comet Interceptor spacecraft.
Comet Interceptor is foreseen to launch as a co-passenger with ESA’s Ariel spacecraft in 2029.
Comet Interceptor was proposed to ESA in July 2018 and selected by ESA in June 2019.
The European Space Agency selected John McFall, a person with a disability, as part of the 2022 ESA Astronaut Class.
The PRO payload on the Transporter-6 mission was designed as part of the ESA InCubed Programme.
The PRO payload was designed as part of the ESA InCubed Program and the activity is supported by the Luxembourg Space Agency.
Arqit’s decision to stop building a space-based quantum encryption network does not affect the construction of the satellite Qinetiq/Redwire is building under the ESA-funded contract.
Arqit recorded $20,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 when including other income, including funds from the European Space Agency.