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 European Space Agency will reimburse Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs for companies scaling production for IRIS².
Luca Parmitano is an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA).
The European Space Agency is expanding Iris2 network’s low-LEO segment.
European Resilience from Space is a hybrid ESA program linking Earth observation with defense and security needs.
European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher support a 'Space Shield' concept to protect European digital sovereignty.
During a close approach to the Sun on 30 September 2024, the ESA-led Solar Orbiter captured one of its most detailed views of a large solar flare.
Flight Ticket is a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission.
The European Space Agency and the European Commission will prepare four in-orbit demonstrator missions together.
Several ESA member states invested approximately €73 million ($84.8 million) in financial support to SWISSto12 through the HummingSat ARTES partnership project.
Miho Janvier is ESA's Solar Orbiter co-project scientist.
SWISSto12 is developing the HummingSat platform in partnership with ESA with a first launch scheduled for 2027.
The book claims the European Space Agency spent 70% of its budget on launch in the 1980s, while ESA's 1985 annual report indicates about 30% of its budget was spent on launch.
The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a new launch services contract within its Flight Ticket initiative.
By April 2025, ESA confirmed that the Arctic Weather Satellite was performing comparably to heritage systems.
In early 2024, ESA and the European Union pre-selected Arianespace, Isar Aerospace, PLD Space, Orbex, and Rocket Factory Augsburg to form the initiative’s pool of launch service providers.
The Flight Ticket Initiative is a programme run jointly by the European Space Agency and the European Union providing subsidised launch opportunities for European companies and organisations on small launch vehicles.
The first two missions were awarded under the German Aerospace Center’s Microlauncher Competition, funded through ESA’s Boost! Programme.
ESA will manage the procurement of the Sterna satellites on behalf of EUMETSAT.
On 22 January, ESA announced that Rocket Factory Augsburg had been awarded a Flight Ticket Initiative contract for launch services for two missions comprising a total of three satellites.
ESA awarded the first two Flight Ticket Initiative contracts to Avio and Isar Aerospace in August 2025.