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’s Celeste mission includes a first-phase constellation of 11 low-Earth-orbit microsatellites built by two European prime contractors.
ESA wants the NILS2 mission to collect data for a longer duration than the original NILS mission.
ESA Strategy 2040 follows the outcome of the ESA Council at ministerial level CM25 and a budget agreement intended to support ESA’s longer-term roadmap.
ESA says the choice of commercial lander will determine the NILS2 mission’s launch timeline.
International Gateway module work under ESA and JAXA MOU authority requires diplomatic resolution rather than contract negotiation.
The European Space Agency is seeking a commercial provider to deliver its NILS2 instrument to the Moon.
Thales Alenia Space will supply five satellites for the first phase of ESA’s Celeste mission.
The original NILS mission was the first time ESA produced scientific data on the Moon’s surface.
ESA, JAXA, CSA, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre contribute to Gateway under Memoranda of Understanding with NASA.
The international Gateway partner network includes ESA, JAXA, CSA, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre.
ispace is working with ESA on the development of the MAGPIE lunar rover mission.
ESA hopes the NILS2 flight will occur within a couple of years from now.
SBQuantum holds agreements with the Canadian Department of National Defence and the European Space Agency.
ESA published a call on 19 March seeking a commercial operator to deliver the NILS2 instrument to the Moon, oversee its operation, and facilitate the return of scientific data.
NASA’s Gateway supply chain includes delivered and accepted hardware, hardware in active integration with no defined repurposing architecture, and international module work under ESA and JAXA MOU authority.
ESA’s Celeste demonstration mission launched two satellites on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from New Zealand.
The Spire Global satellite was co-funded by the Government of Luxembourg through an ESA Contract in the Luxembourg National Space Program, LuxIMPULSE, managed by the Luxembourg Space Agency.
Heriberto Saldivar is Head of Strategy at the European Space Agency.
ESA’s NILS2 mission will measure negative ions on the lunar surface.
ESA’s original Negative Ions at the Lunar Surface instrument touched down on the Moon aboard China’s Chang’e 6 lunar lander on 1 June 2024.