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 expects the first six satellites of the EPS-Sterna constellation to launch in 2029.
ESA member states approved Canada's participation in the Access, ERS-EO, Moonlight, and FutureNAV programs.
Canada's participation represents its largest contribution to ESA since 1979.
ESA’s Earth Return Orbiter will be the biggest spacecraft to ever orbit Mars.
The Sunrise Partnership Project is a public-private partnership between the European Space Agency and Eutelsat.
Tyvak International, a subsidiary of Terran Orbital, will build a 6U CubeSat to support the ESA RAMSES planetary defense mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis.
Tanja Permozer of Slovenia and Kimmo Kanto of Finland will serve as vice presidents of the ESA Council.
Tyvak International developed the Milani CubeSat for ESA’s Hera mission.
ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter has a wingspan of 17.5 m and a height of 3 m.
Juan Carlos Cortés Pulido was designated as president of the ESA Council for a two-year term beginning on 1 July 2026.
The European Space Agency awarded OHB a €248 million contract to develop and build 20 small satellites for EUMETSAT’s EPS-Sterna weather satellite constellation.
The ESA Council backed the EPIC (ESA Provided Institutional Crew) mission concept for a new European flight to the International Space Station.
ESA member states approved cooperation with JAXA on the Ramses mission to study the asteroid Apophis.
Farinella will carry Vista, a dust detector previously flown on the Milani CubeSat from ESA’s Hera mission.
The ESA Council gave approval for the FlyEye-2 telescope to be installed at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.
ESA’s Earth Return Orbiter has a wingspan of 38 m and a height of 7.5 m.
The EPIC mission aligns with the ESA E3P program to provide regular flight opportunities for ESA astronauts.
Astroscale’s ELSA-M mission is supported by the UK Space Agency through the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems program as part of the Sunrise Partnership Project.
ESA intends to sign contracts for demonstration missions to future commercial low Earth orbit destinations in November 2026.
ESA plans to provide the ALADDIN option for a demonstration mission to future commercial low Earth orbit destinations.