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.
The 16.923 billion-euro contribution is more than 1,500,000,000 EUR below the roughly 18,500,000,000 EUR that ESA leadership sought going into the meeting.
ESA options for post-ISS activity include buying services directly from commercial space station operators, reaching a barter agreement with NASA to exchange commercially bought flights with ESA, or developing ESA transportation capability for cargo or crew to offer to commercial space station operators.
Hungary will offer research and experiment slots for the European Space Agency during the 30-day Hungarian mission.
The European Space Agency selected a class of 17 people as a combination of professional and reserve astronauts.
ESA’s major priorities in the approved budget include funding a share of the European Union’s IRIS² secure connectivity constellation.
Germany is ESA’s largest contributor and is providing 3,510,000,000 EUR to ESA for the three-year period compared to 3,290,000,000 EUR in 2019 according to ESA.
ESA is planning over the next three years, leading up to the 2025 ministerial, how Europe will enter the commercial space station environment.
ESA provided a request for 600,000,000 EUR for a transition program for the Ariane 6 rocket over the next three years.
ESA expects two of its Artemis seats to be on the Artemis 4 and Artemis 5 missions, which will deliver European components to the lunar Gateway.
Germany’s economic ministry released a figure claiming Germany is providing 4,000,000,000 EUR to ESA for the three-year period.
The availability of the solution as a product was made possible through funding from the ESA ARTES Core Competitiveness program.
ESA is seeking only half of the 700 million-euro ExoMars restructuring need at the current ministerial meeting.
ESA will buy communications services and fly payloads on Lunar Pathfinder, a small communications satellite developed with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., planned for launch in 2024.
ArianeGroup received a €50 million agreement from the European Space Agency to continue development of the PHOEBUS super-light carbon composite upper stage demonstrator.
At its ministerial meeting, ESA is seeking a 25% funding increase over 2019 levels.
ESA selected consortia led by D-Orbit, The Exploration Company, OHB System, S.A.B. Aerospace, and Thales Alenia Space France and is contracting them to carry out studies proposing mission schemes starting 2022.
The European Space Agency provided Skyrora with grant funding support.
The Vega C development program has been managed by ESA with participation from 12 ESA Member States.
Under the agreement with ESA, SES and its partners will design, develop, launch, and operate a satellite-based end-to-end QKD system to test and validate space-based secure transmission of cryptographic keys.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will provide the life support system, thermal controls, camera, and batteries for the International Habitation (I-Hab) module being developed with the European Space Agency.