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 Director General Josef Aschbacher and EDA Deputy Chief Anders Sjöborg signed the agreement on 22 April in Brussels.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center supplied components including a mass spectrometer for the ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover's Mars Organic Molecular Analyzer.
Meteosat Third Generation is a joint ESA and Eumetsat program designed to provide high-resolution weather monitoring until 2040 and beyond.
The European Space Agency and the European Defence Agency signed an Implementing Arrangement to identify strategic and technological gaps in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities and develop a long-term roadmap for security and defence.
Kepler Communications will deliver a hosted-payload mission for ESA’s HydRON Element 3.
The Agencia Espacial Española is aligned with ESA Clean Space and the Zero Debris Charter.
The ESA Council approved the Implementing Arrangement in March 2026.
The ESA-EDA study is intended to contribute to implementation of ESA’s European Resilience from Space initiative.
The joint ESA-EDA study will assess current and future Earth observation needs, identify critical capability gaps, and define technology development priorities up to 2040 and beyond.
The Sentinel satellite series was developed for the European Space Agency for the European Commission’s Copernicus program.
The ESA Council at ministerial level made decisions related to the Implementing Arrangement in November 2025 in Bremen.
The GSOIA allows the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency to securely exchange classified information.
The European Space Agency set a May 5 deadline for bids on an ESA architecture contract.
The European Space Agency and the European Defence Agency will contribute equally to the costs of the joint study.
The ESA-EDA study builds on existing cooperation between the two organisations and on previous cooperation related to Earth observation.
The European Space Agency and the European Defence Agency will assess future ISR sensors.
Arkadia Space developed the 250N Ariel engine in the European Space Agency’s Future Launchers Preparatory Programme in mid-2023.
Toronto-based Kepler Communications secured a €18.6 million prime contract for ESA’s HydRON Element 3.
The ESA-EDA study will run for no more than 18 months.
IRIDE is a satellite constellation supported by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and led by ESA in collaboration with ASI.