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.
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Companies that have worked with ESA’s Φ-lab have raised approximately €1 billion in private investment against €150 million of ESA co-funding over four years.
The second ESA BIC Andalucía startup application deadline is 30 October 2026.
The SITAEL launch pipeline includes PLATINO 1, EAGLE-1, five IRIDE satellites, PLATINO 2, and ESA’s Scout HiBiDiS mission.
The ESA BIC network in Europe comprises more than thirty centers.
The 60,000 euros for ESA BIC Andalucía are funded equally by the Agencia Espacial Española and the Junta de Andalucía.
Spain has more than 130 startups linked to the ESA BIC network.
NASA's Moon Base 3 mission will carry additional payloads from the European Space Agency and the Korean Space Agency.
The Agencia Espacial Española (AEE), the Junta de Andalucía, and the Ayuntamiento de Sevilla back ESA BIC Andalucía.
Orbit Fab secured a European Space Agency contract worth approximately $830,000 to work with telecom primes on integrating xenon refueling technology into GEO commercial satellites.
DSI Aerospace’s customers include Airbus DS, OHB, the German Aerospace Center, and the European Space Agency.
DSI Aerospace participates in ESA missions including MetOp-SG, JUICE, Biomass, FLEX, PLATO, and Hera.
Open Cosmos won a 2026 contract to build the Spanish Atlantic Constellation for the Spanish Space Agency and ESA.
Mynaric secured an ESA HydRON Element 3 contract in March 2026 for the High Throughput Optical Network’s user segment.
The Iris air-traffic management program was developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
The MANUS system is a multi-use robotic arm for ESA’s future lunar lander platform.
In early 2024, ESA awarded contracts to Redwire and PIAP Space to deliver an initial prototype of the MANUS system for its future lunar lander platform.
The European Space Agency's Comet Interceptor mission received its first operational instrument, DFP-B2.
ESA opened a call for proposals to demonstrate a robotic arm system aboard Argonaut’s inaugural mission, which is expected to launch in 2030.
All 23 member states of the European Space Agency are Artemis Accords signatories after Ireland joined on 4 May.
ESA opened the Argonaut 1 Moon Robotic Payload Mission call in late April 2026 to seek proposals for demonstrations of key robotic manipulation technologies for European robotic Moon missions.