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→ ALL ABOUT ESA Space for Europe → THE

From the beginnings of the ‘space age’, Europe has been actively involved in . Today it launches for observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the , and cooperates in the human exploration of space.

Space is a key asset for Europe, providing essential information needed by decision-makers to respond to global challenges. Space provides indispensable technologies and services, and increases our understanding of our planet and the Universe. Since 1975, the European Space Agency (ESA) has been shaping the development of this space capability.

By pooling the resources of over 20 Member States, ESA undertakes programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country, developing the launchers, and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.

← Cover: ESA during a spacewalk from the International in 2014 (NASA/ESA) CONTENTS

→ SPACE TO DISCOVER ...... 2

→ SPACE FOR EARTH ...... 4

→ SPACE TO LOCATE ...... 6

→ SPACE TO COMMUNICATE ...... 7

→ SPACE TO INNOVATE ...... 8

→ ACCESS TO SPACE ...... 9

→ SPACE FOR LIFE ...... 10

The lander took a ‘selfie’of the spacecraft at 67P/Churyumov– Gerasimenko from a distance of about 16 km on 7 October 2014 (ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA) science & robotic exploration → SPACE TO DISCOVER

Over the past 40 years, Europe has marked a series of firsts in the exploration of the Solar System and of our Universe: from an encounter with Comet Halley in 1986, parachuting a probe on to Saturn’s Titan in 2005 and landing on a comet in 2014, to studying our in unprecedented detail and photographing the farthest galaxies.

To continue such successful achievements, ExoMars is a cooperation of ESA and ESA is now looking ahead to the next to continue the exploration of the 20 years with its programme. . One of its ambitious scientific This is a way of building on a solid past, and goals is to establish whether life ever existed, working today to overcome the scientific, or is still active on Mars today. This is one of intellectual and technological challenges the outstanding questions of our time, and a of tomorrow. Cosmic Vision is a starting prerequisite to prepare for the future human point for crucial studies in space science, to exploration of the Red Planet. discover if other worlds exist and how life and the Universe evolved from the Big Bang In 2022, JUICE will fly to , the largest to now. planet in the Solar System. JUICE will focus on its three largest icy , , Several fundamental themes lie at the core , and , to assess the of the Cosmic Vision programme: potential habitability of their hidden deep ­­– the conditions for planetary formation and . the emergence of life; – how the Solar System works; MONITORING THE STORMY SUN – the fundamental physical laws of the Universe; Solar exploration has always played a key – the origins of the Universe and what it is role in ESA’s space science programme and made of. satellites built in Europe have a long and highly successful tradition in monitoring our EXPLORING OTHER PLANETS and exploring its environment.

Scientists believe that our Solar System Today, many missions study the Sun, our formed about 4600 million years ago. Since source of heat and energy that allows life to then, its planets and moons have all evolved form and evolve on Earth. The joint ESA/NASA in very different ways. To understand how has provided us with the first-ever the Solar System works and why Earth is map of the from the Sun’s unique, ESA has launched a series of highly to its poles. ESA’s four satellites are successful science missions. investigating the interaction between Earth’s magnetosphere and the . has found water on Mars and is mapping its surface. Express is SOHO, orbiting at a special point in space peering into the dense Venusian on the sunward side of Earth, sends images to study the dramatic greenhouse effect. of solar explosions and probes the hidden ESA’s has landed on Titan, a moon of interior of the Sun. Especially remarkable are Saturn, to study its chemistry and mineralogy. its observations of coronal mass ejections, Rosetta rendezvoused and landed on in which the Sun sends huge puffs of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and electrified gas out into the Solar System. is now helping scientists understand if brought water and life to Earth. The Satellites and power and communications BepiColombo mission will explore , systems on the ground are vulnerable to the closest planet to the Sun, to learn how this ‘’, and their engineers planets near form and evolve. can now be alerted in good time.

↖ In November 2014, ESA's Rosetta mission rendezvoused and landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko ↖ Sunshield test unit on James Webb unfurled for the first time (NASA) ← will study our star, the Sun, and the at close range

2 stars and galaxies are born. A new generation In 2017, Solar Orbiter will fly to within of telescopes, such as the James Webb Space 42 million km of the Sun, even closer than Telescope, will investigate supernovas, black Mercury, to study our star and the solar holes and quasars. They will provide scientists wind at close range. with into the birth and evolution of planetary systems. LOOKING DEEP INTO THE UNIVERSE The mission will try to answer Space-based telescopes, such as Hubble one of the biggest questions in modern and ESA’s XMM-Newton and Integral, are cosmology: why is the Universe expanding studying the Universe beyond the visible at an accelerating rate, rather than slowing light, observing hot places around black holes down due to the gravitational attraction of and exploded stars and monitoring celestial all the matter in it? Studying galaxies up to objects with extreme gravity, density and 10 billion light years away, Euclid will plot the temperature. and Herschel are looking evolution of the Universe’s structure over deeper into space to study the birth of the three-quarters of its history. Universe and to solve the mystery of how

→ SUN Name Launch Mission

ESRO-2 1968 Cosmic and X-radiation from the Sun

ISEE-B 1977 International Sun-Earth Explorer → ExoMars  Ulysses 1990 First spacecraft to overfly the Sun’s poles mission (ESA/AOES)

SOHO 1995 Studying the Sun’s core, outer corona and solar wind → SOLAR SYSTEM AND SUN–EARTH INTERACTIONS Cluster & Double 2000 Interaction of the solar wind and Star (with China) 2003/2004 Earth’s magnetosphere Name Launch Mission

Solar Orbiter 2017 Study of the Sun from close range 1968 Polar frontiers of the Van Allen radiation belt

→ ASTRONOMY AND THE EXOTIC UNIVERSE HEOS-1 1968 Interplanetary magnetic Boreas 1969 Polar frontiers of the Van Allen TD-1A 1972 Measuring radiation from radiation belt 15 000 stars HEOS-2 1972 Interplanetary magnetic fields Cos-B 1975 -ray studies ESRO-4 1972 Upper atmosphere temperature IUE 1978 Ultraviolet observations of 10 000 variations celestial objects GEOS-1 1977 Plasma particles and waves in Exosat 1983 X-ray emissions of astronomical Earth’s magnetic field phenomena GEOS-2 1978 Movement in Earth’s upper Hipparcos 1989 Position measurements of 120 000 stars atmosphere

Hubble Space 1990 Orbiting astronomical observatory 1985 Fly-past of Comet Halley and Telescope Comet Grigg‒Skjellerup

ISO 1995 Exploring the Universe Cassini‒Huygens 1997 Exploring Saturn’s system and descending onto its largest moon XMM-Newton 1999 The most sensitive X-ray observatory Titan to date Mars Express 2003 Studying the atmosphere, Integral 2002 Observing the most energetic surface and subsurface of the phenomena in gamma rays Red Planet

Herschel 2009 Infrared emissions from stars and SMART-1 2003 Testing solar-electric propulsion galaxies and studying the Moon’s surface

Planck 2009 Studying the Cosmic Huygens 2004 Probing the atmosphere and Background radiation surface of Titan

Gaia 2013 Precision mapping of one billion stars Rosetta 2004 Orbiter of Comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko and LISA Pathfinder 2015 Technology test for LISA mission Philae lander

Cheops 2017 Studying exoplanets around nearby 2005 Exploring Venus and its bright stars atmosphere

JWST 2018 Second-generation space telescope BepiColombo 2016 Exploring the planet Mercury

Euclid 2020 Probing dark matter, dark energy and ExoMars 2016 Mars orbiter and lander the expanding Universe ExoMars 2018 Mars rover and surface platform Plato 2024 Studying extrasolar planetary systems JUICE 2022 Characterising conditions of - 2028 X-ray astronomy bearing moons around Jupiter

3 earth observation → SPACE FOR EARTH

What is happening to our planet? Satellites are unique in their ability to constantly monitor the entire Earth: they can provide crucial information about our ever-changing planet. From space, we monitor many natural and man-made events, from and forest fires, to changes in cover, rising levels and oil slicks.

ESA’s Earth observation satellites environmental and civil security data and have given Europe a leading role in information for its citizens. understanding the global environment, increasing our knowledge about Earth’s The success of Copernicus is being achieved weather and climate change. Since the largely through ESA’s well-engineered 1970s, the series of weather Space Component to provide essential satellites has provided a wealth of data data according to European policy for the community. priorities. This includes the development and the ERS remote-sensing satellites have of a series of Sentinel satellites, and the allowed scientists to build datasets on integration of national and European environmental phenomena and climate missions to guarantee continuity of data change for 20 years. and services.

The Earth Explorer satellites are giving CLIMATE CHANGE scientists the chance of using breakthrough technologies to address specific issues Over the last decades, satellites observing and learn more about interaction between Earth have been providing an ever-clearer the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, picture of the health of our planet and the cryosphere and the interior, and about the signs of climate change. impact that human activity is having on Earth’s natural processes. ESA’s Climate Change Initiative exploits archive satellite records going back The EarthWatch missions ensure continuity three decades combined with data from of datasets and provide operational services. new missions to produce information Developed with Eumetsat, the first two on a wide range of variables such as Meteosat Second Generation satellites greenhouse-gas concentrations, sea-ice and MetOp-A, Europe’s first polar-orbiting extent and thickness, and sea-surface meteorological satellite, are operational. temperature and salinity.

ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY This strategy of generating datasets of Essential Climate Variables provides Europe Space-based observation of Earth is an with a powerful tool to monitor the state of essential source of information for decision- the climate system and to help predict the makers in responding to challenges such as effects that a changing climate may bring. global environmental change and security. WATCHING THE WEATHER Information must be of practical use, arriving quickly and economically, and be accessible What will tomorrow’s weather bring? to those using it. Copernicus, previously Regular, accurate weather forecasts are known as GMES, is a joint initiative crucial to many activities: aviation, shipping, between the EU and ESA, will consolidate agriculture, fishing, construction, and even Europe’s capacity to collect and manage sport and leisure.

↖ Satellite measurements showing nitrogen dioxide as a pollutant, produced by burning fossil fuels ↖ Earth's gravity revealed in unprecedented detail by GOCE ← Hurricane Sandy approaching North America in October 2012, as seen by Europe's MetOp-A (Eumetsat)

4 Meteorological satellites provide data on weather systems by using instruments to monitor clouds and , measure temperatures and pressure and many other surface conditions on land, sea and in the air.

As a result of the cooperation between ESA and Eumetsat, Europe has a fleet of meteorological satellites to provide better knowledge about our planet’s weather and climate. The Meteosat series monitor Earth from geostationary while MetOp is the first European meteorological satellite in .

Work has started on developing the next generation of meteorological satellites, Meteosat Third Generation.

→ From space, we monitor many natural and man-made events, from floods and forest fires, to changes in ice cover and rising sea levels

→ EARTH OBSERVATION MISSIONS CryoSat-2 2010 Ice sheets and marine ice cover Name Launch Mission MSG-3 2012 Operational meteorology

Meteosat-1 1977 Pre-operational meteorological services MetOp-B 2012 Polar meteorology

Meteosat-2 1981 Pre-operational meteorological services Sentinel-1 2013 Operational imaging

Meteosat-3 1988 Pre-operational meteorological services 2013 Magnetic field studies

Meteosat-4 1989 Operational meteorology Sentinel-2 2014 Land monitoring

Meteosat-5 1991 Operational meteorology Sentinel-3 2014 Marine monitoring

ERS-1 1991 Pre-operational Earth observation radar MSG-4 2015 Operational meteorology

Meteosat-6 1993 Operational meteorology Aeolus 2016 Atmospheric dynamics

ERS-2 1995 Pre-operational Earth observation radar Sentinel-5 Precursor 2016 Payload for atmospheric monitoring

Meteosat-7 1997 Operational meteorology Sentinel-4 2017 Payload for atmospheric monitoring

Proba-1 2001 Technology/Earth observation EarthCARE 2018 Radiation and cloud interaction

Envisat 2002 Earth observation MetOp-C 2018 Polar meteorological services

Meteosat-8 2002 Formerly MSG-1, operational MTG-I-1 2018 Meteosat Third Generation meteorology MTG-S-1 2020 Meteosat Third Generation MSG-2 2005 Operational meteorology Sentinel-5 2020 Payload for atmospheric monitoring MetOp-A 2006 Meteorological services Biomass 2020 Studying the world’s tropical forests GOCE 2009 Gravity field and geoid Earth Explorer 8 SMOS 2009 Soil moisture and ocean salinity

5 & navigation-related activities → SPACE TO LOCATE

After mobile phones and the internet, satellite navigation is the latest high-tech addition to our everyday lives. Spacecraft orbiting Earth can tell you exactly where you are, 24 hours a day.

Car and truck drivers, farmers, yachtsmen It made its first positioning in March 2013, and hikers have all discovered the benefits during its In-Orbit Validation phase, proving of satellite navigation. Air traffic control, the concept. These four satellites were joined shipping, rescue operations, crisis by Satellites 5 and 6 in August 2014 and then management and law enforcement services 7 and 8 in March 2015. The constellation have all been revolutionised by more build-up will now at a steady rate accurate and reliable positioning systems. leading to its completion of 30 satellites and its associated . Determined to provide Europe with its own independent global civil satellite navigation The range of potential applications for system, the European Commission and ESA Galileo is extremely wide. Looking beyond have devised a two-step approach. the transport sector, where it will increase safety, efficiency and comfort, its advanced The already operational EGNOS, which technological features and its commercially augments GPS, is used in numerous European oriented services will make it a valuable tool airports for safer approaches and landings. for many more economic sectors.

The worldwide Galileo system started with Initial services including Open Service, two demonstration missions GIOVE-A and B. Search And Rescue and Public Regulated Service are planned for 2016. Interoperable with GPS, Galileo signals will be treated by receivers in a fully transparent way. Multiplying the satellites in space will improve reliability and accuracy on Earth.

↖ The first two Galileo satellites were launched from Europe's in 2011 ← Satellites in the Galileo constellation

→ GALILEO NAVIGATION

Name Launch Mission

GIOVE-A 2005 Demonstration mission

GIOVE-B 2008 Demonstration mission

IOV x2 2011 In-orbit Validation to qualify Galileo design

IOV x2 2012 In-orbit Validation to qualify Galileo design

Galileo 5/6 2014 Full Operational Capability satellites

Galileo 7/8 2015 Full Operational Capability satellites

← Satellite positioning has already become the standard way of navigating, now essential for the efficient running of transport systems and also human safety (Zetapress)

6 telecommunications & integrated applications → SPACE TO COMMUNICATE

Global communications underpin modern society and represent an important commercial sector. Satellites are a fundamental part of global telecommunications networks, providing all kind of services, efficiently and seamlessly, over almost every region of our planet.

ESA’s Advanced Research in Most of ESA’s support to satcom technology Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) is in public–private partnerships with programmes transform research and companies from all over Europe. These development investment into successful partnerships stimulate breakthroughs commercial products, and are central to by sharing the risk between ESA and European and Canadian industries remaining industry, making it easier to take on world-class competitors. These programmes potentially game-changing projects. enable companies of participating states to One is the European Data Relay System increase competitiveness, access new markets, (EDRS): an independent European network encourage growth and foster innovation. for transmission of large quantities of satellite data. Another, , will develop EXPANDING AT EVERY LEVEL a with full electric-propulsion. Atlas is an extension Europe currently takes home 35% of global of an ARTES element that supports 'first commercial satellite orders and the sector is flight' opportunities for experiments on growing steadily. Global revenue has nearly commercial telecoms satellites. tripled in the past decade. ESA supports the deployment of new satellites and programmes SATCOM FOR SEA AND SKY… that help companies compete on the global market by providing them with the means to Iris is an air-to-ground communications diversify their products and enter new markets. system for safer and more precise air traffic management. The maritime sector is set to Alphasat is the biggest European telecom benefit from SAT-AIS, which uses satellites satellite ever built, based on Alphabus, to extend the reach of identification the next generation of large platforms for messages from to shore. high-power telecom satellites. SmallGEO is a flexible geostationary satellite platform …AND EVERYWHERE ELSE for smaller spacecraft. The ‘Next Generation’ geostationary platform Neosat is ESA’s ESA’s ARTES programme includes offering to the mid-range market, which the development of applications that makes up the bulk of satellite orders. provide solutions to the needs and Quantum is a pioneering mission that challenges faced by society, in areas such ↑ Integrated applications: combining will influence how telecom satellites are as health, agriculture, security, energy and the use of different types of satellites, procured and manufactured in Europe by more – all making use of multiple space such as telecommunications, Earth observation validating a new, generic payload design. assets to improve our daily lives. and navigation

→ TELECOMMUNICATIONS MISSIONS Olympus 1989 Telecoms technology demonstration Name Launch Mission 2001 Telecoms technology demonstration Hylas-1 2010 Broadband services in public‒private OTS-2 1978 Telecoms technology demonstration partnership

Marecs-A 1981 Maritime communications Alphasat 2013 Next-generation telecoms satellite

ECS-1 1983 Operational communications satellite SmallGEO 2015/6 Geostationary telecoms

ECS-2 1984 Operational communications satellite EDRS-A 2015 Data relay satellite

Marecs-B2 1984 Maritime communications EDRS-C 2016 Data relay satellite

ECS-4 1987 Operational communications satellite Neosat 2018 Geostationary telecoms

ECS-5 1988 Operational communications satellite Electra 2019 Telecoms with electric propulsion

7 technology → SPACE TO INNOVATE

What accounts for the continued commercial success of European space? The answer is innovation. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development notes a third of all new space patents are filed in Europe, second only to the .

Europe’s space industry stays smarter than energy challenges on Earth and the building its international competitors thanks to a blocks for human and robotic exploration. steady stream of technology development, coordinated by ESA’s Technology programmes. BRINGING SPACE DOWN TO EARTH

Technology lies at the foundation of ESA’s Technology programmes also prioritise everything ESA does. ESA’s technology research the transfer of high-performance technologies and development programmes are run on to terrestrial markets, fostering new businesses a 5–10 year time span, from investigating and boosting wider European competitiveness. promising new ideas to finalising hardware for actual spaceflight – and commercial markets. The transfer of these space technologies to our daily lives brings real benefits in many Cross-cutting initiatives address directly the key ways. Space technologies are already being technological challenges of this new century: used to improve the well-being of ordinary sustainability of space activities on Earth and citizens through, for example, healthcare in orbit; key advances in scientific instruments; products, improved waste management and space technologies that can help address the water recovery.

→ TECHNOLOGY MISSION

Name Launch Mission

Proba-1 2001 Technology demonstrator/Earth observation

Proba-2 2009 Technology demonstrator/science

Proba-V 2013 Technology demonstrator/Earth observation

Proba-3 2018 Formation flying/solar science

↖ Proba-3 is ESA’s first close formation-flying mission. A pair of satellites will fly together on a coordinated basis, evaluating techniques for flying in tandem ← A running PPS 1350 Hall effect thruster, as used on Alphasat ↓ ESA’s world-class laboratories use an unrivalled combination of expert knowledge and specialised equipment (ESA/G. Schoonewille)

8 launchers → ACCESS TO SPACE

Self-sufficiency in sending satellites into orbit is vital for Europe’s independence in space. Since the beginning of the programme in 1973, a highly successful series of launchers has been developed, from through to .

The Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher ensures that When you launch a satellite, any extra Europe maintains its competitive edge in the speed gained from Earth’s rotation is global launcher market. The current Ariane 5 welcome. This boost is strongest near the ECA can deliver almost 10 tonnes into the Equator, so is the best placed of all geostationary transfer needed for the world’s major . Spent rockets many satellites. fall safely into the open ocean, and the same is true for launchers sent northwards, Smaller launchers are still needed to meet when different kinds of orbits are required. the market for smaller satellites, adding greater flexibility to the range of European Developed by in the late 1960s, launch capabilities. ESA has developed , the launch site is now used by ESA for its capable of lifting up to 1.5 tonnes into low Ariane, Vega and rockets. Earth orbit, and ’s medium-lift Soyuz vehicles are being launched from Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou, . → Europe’s growing launcher family: Vega, Soyuz at CSG and Ariane 5 will soon Today, European launch services are the be joined by most reliable in the world. But economically speaking, they operate in a commercial market where competitors are heavily supported by a guaranteed governmental market. To meet this challenge of competitiveness, ESA is developing the new Ariane 6 for a maiden flight in 2020. Ariane 6 will be a modular three- stage launcher with two configurations, using boosters in common with the Vega vehicle.

For the future, ESA is reviewing new technologies and propulsion systems with experts from Europe’s research centres and aerospace industry, to make access to space simpler and cheaper.

EUROPE’S SPACEPORT

Situated between a rain forest and the Atlantic coast of , Kourou in French Guiana has become a familiar venue to space engineers and their customers from around the world. It is the home of the – Europe’s Spaceport.

The high levels of efficiency, safety and reliability at Europe’s Spaceport are well known. In addition to its many European clients, the spaceport also undertakes launches for customers in the USA, Japan, Canada, India and Brazil.

→ Launch of Ariane 5 ECA at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana (ESA/CNES/ - Optique Vidéo du CSG)

9 & operations → SPACE FOR LIFE

European have been taking part in human spaceflight missions for over three decades, either flying on the US or Russian Soyuz spacecraft, first to the space station and then to the International Space Station (ISS), gaining a wealth of experience.

The first ESA astronaut, , flew Following the success of ATV, and to offset into space in 1983. In 1998, the European obligations towards ISS partners, ESA is Astronaut Centre was established in developing the ATV-derived European to prepare European astronauts for for the NASA Multi-Purpose missions to the ISS. Many have already flown Crew Vehicle . to the ISS, playing a vital role in the assembly and operation of key elements of the station. EXPLORING THE NEW FRONTIER

Today, new astronauts have been selected Space exploration is a great geopolitical and are taking part in missions to the ISS, and those nations that and eventually future human spaceflight participate and contribute to a significant missions beyond. level in space exploration will shape the current international principles EUROPE AND THE INTERNATIONAL regulating the use of . ESA SPACE STATION will ensure that Europe plays a key role in this future international exploration The ISS is easily visible to the naked eye as it of space. Through the exploitation of flies 400 km overhead. It is a masterpiece of the ISS, experience in human spaceflight global cooperation, uniting the USA, Russia, operations will be significantly increased, Japan, Canada and Europe in the largest but Europe has also been involved in partnership in the history of science. international planning for exploration beyond Earth orbit. Europe’s involvement in this partnership through ESA continues to be a story of These exploration plans focus on robotic major technical and scientific achievement. missions that will prepare the way, subject to It has been a huge stimulus for European affordability, for human settlements on the industry, which has taken great strides Moon and the robotic exploration of Mars. in the development and manufacture of A long-term goal after 2030 could also be cutting-edge space systems and hardware. the first human mission to Mars. A series of manned and unmanned missions will Europe’s key contribution is the multi- test and develop the technologies and purpose science laboratory, Columbus. knowledge that will get humans safely to Here, scientists can send experiments to be Mars and back. These will require advances carried out in weightless conditions. With in many areas, such as guidance systems, the ISS completed, utilisation of this unique robotics, radiation-hardening, propulsion facility and the exploitation of the unrivalled and life-support systems. opportunities it offers are well under way. WHERE MISSIONS COME ALIVE ESA also provided the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) – a series of unmanned ferries Along with the European contribution to the that dock and undock automatically, each ISS, including ATV production, its scientific carrying a cargo of food, propellant and and technical utilisation and other human other supplies. The ATVs also helped the ISS spaceflight activities, ESA also manages the maintain its attitude, and remove waste for flight operations of all it missions and their incineration in the atmosphere. corresponding ground segment elements.

↖ The International Space Station (NASA/ESA) ↖ Studying space weather is a key element of Space Situational Awareness ← ESOC's Main Control Room,

10 The European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), → EUROPEAN ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE in Darmstadt, Germany, serves as the main control centre for ESA missions, and hosts Vladimir Remek (CZ) (FR) (ES) the Estrack Control Centre – which manages 1978 Antarès/Soyuz TM-15 1992 STS-95 1998 STS-93 1999 Cervantes/Soyuz TMA-3 2003 the ESA tracking station network, Estrack. Miroslaw Hermaszewski (PL) This worldwide system of ground stations 1978 Franco Malerba (IT) Ivan Bella (SL) provides links between satellites in orbit and STS-46 1992 Soyuz TM-29 1999 Siegmund Jähn (DE) ESOC, with 10 stations in seven countries. The 1978 (CH) (DE) essential task of all ESA tracking stations is STS-46 1992 STS-99 2000 to communicate with our missions, uplink Georgi Ivanov (BG) STS-61 1993 1979 STS-75 1996 (IT) commands and downlink scientific data and STS-103 1999 /Soyuz TM-34 2002 spacecraft status information. (HU) Eneide/Soyuz TMA-6 2005 1980 (DE) DAMA/STS-134 2011 STS-55 1993 Based on experience since 1967 in controlling Dimitru Prunariu (RO) STS-122 2008 (FR) over 60 missions and the capability to 1981 STS-111 2002 manage multiple spacecraft at once, we Ulrich Walter (DE) Jean-Loup Chrétien (FR) STS-55 1993 (BE) also provide our mission control expertise to Soyuz T-6 1982 Odissea/Soyuz TMA-1 2002 outside agencies and customers. In addition Soyuz TM-7 1988 Jean-Pierre Haigneré (FR) OasISS/Soyuz TMA-15 2009 STS-86 1997 Altair/Soyuz TM-17 1993 to operating missions, ESA provides world- Perseus/Soyuz TM-29 1999 André Kuipers (NL) class services to a variety of internal and Ulf Merbold (DE) Delta/Soyuz TMA-4 2004 external clients for tracking and STS-9 1983 Jean-François Clervoy (FR) PromISSe/Soyuz TMA-03M 2011 STS-42 1992 STS-66 1994 collision alerts, geodata analysis, software 94/Soyuz TM-20 1994 STS-84 1997 (SE) development and navigation. STS-103 1999 Celsius/STS-116 2006 Patrick Baudry (FR) Alissé/STS-128 2009 STS-51G 1985 (DE) SPACE FOR SECURITY Euromir 95/Soyuz TM-22 1995/6 (IT) (DE) Astrolab/STS-121 2006 STS-120 2007 The Space Situational Awareness (SSA) STS-61A 1985 MagISStra/Soyuz TMA-20 2010 (IT) initiative aims to provide Europe with (DE) STS-75 1996 (IT) services to protect satellites and Earth. The STS-61A 1985 Volare/Soyuz TMA-09M 2013 initiative supports Europe’s independent (IT) (NL) STS-75 1996 Alexander Gerst (DE) utilisation of space, through provision of STS-61A 1985 STS-100 2001 Blue Dot/Soyuz TMA-13M 2014 timely and accurate information about the space environment. SSA will strengthen Alexander Alexandrov (BG) Jean-Jaques Favier (FR) (IT) Soyuz TM-5 1988 STS-78 1996 Futura/Soyuz TMA-15M 2014 reliability, availability and security of Europe’s space-based services. It will be Helen Sharman (GB) Claudie Haigneré (FR) (DK) coordinated with international partners and Soyuz TM-12 1991 Cassiopée/Soyuz TM-24 1996 Iriss/Soyuz TMA-18M 2015 Andromède/Soyuz TM-33 2001 the institutions of the . Franz Viehböck (AT) Timothy Peake (GB) Soyuz TM-13 1991 (DE) Principia/Soyuz TMA-19M 2015 Soyuz TM-25 1997 European industry will benefit from new Klaus-Dietrich Flade (DE) contracts and world-class competitive Soyuz TM-14 1992 Léopold Eyharts (FR) capabilities gained through development of Pégase/Soyuz TM-27 1998 Dirk Frimout (BE) STS-122 2008 the SSA infrastructure and services. STS-45 1992

↓ ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel makes a spacewalk during the installation of the European Columbus laboratory on the ISS (NASA)

11 THE SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS OF TOMORROW

Young people are always fascinated by space through specific programmes and projects. exploration. It can capture their imagination, Higher education students get the propelling them into a multitude of scientific chance to meet the experts – including and technological careers. astronauts – and gain hands-on experience in designing space experiments. We also ESA draws on this to help encourage students from different European stimulate a wider interest, encouraging universities to network, preparing them an increasingly knowledge-based society to become the skilled and knowledgeable in Europe, by motivating youngsters to workforce of tomorrow. enhance their literacy in science and technology. Generating an interest at an Education activities also support the ESA early age is important because the future recruitment process, through a unique set development of space will depend on these of projects. These range from designing young scientists and engineers. small satellites to initiatives that foster the transfer of ESA knowhow and provide Together with partners, ESA supports academic support to research of interest teachers to tackle space-related subjects to ESA.

Space programmes need resources. This means funds, people and expertise. ESA employs around 2200 permanent staff, spread among its main centres and smaller offices around the world.

ESA’S BUDGET BY PROGRAMME IN 2015 (MEURO)

*includes Third Party Activities

12 headquarters Located in , home to the main programme ESA’S 22 MEMBER STATES ARE: directorates that steer and formulate ESA policy.

20 states of the EU Austria estec Czech Republic The European Space Research and Technology Denmark Centre, Noordwijk, the , is the largest Estonia site and the technical heart of ESA. Finland France Germany esoc Hungary The European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Ireland Germany, tracks and controls European spacecraft. Luxembourg Netherlands Poland esrin Portugal ESA’s centre for Earth observation activities, near Rome, Italy, also develops information systems and hosts the Vega launcher project. United Kingdom plus and Switzerland. eac The European Astronaut Centre, , Germany, Seven other EU states have Cooperation Agreements with trains astronauts for missions to the International Space Station and beyond. ESA: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia. Discussions are ongoing with Croatia. Canada takes part in some programmes under a long- standing Cooperation Agreement. esac The European Space Astronomy Centre, near Madrid, Spain, hosts the science operation centres and archives for ESA’s astronomy and planetary missions.

redu Redu Centre in Belgium is part of ESA’s ground station network and is also home to ESA's Space Weather Data Centre.

ecsat ECSAT in Oxfordshire, UK, supports activities related to telecommunications, integrated applications, climate change, technology and science.

guiana space centre ESA’s launchers lift off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. It is jointly operated by the French space agency (CNES) and Arianespace with the support of European industry.

CONTACT

ESA HQ France +33 1 53 69 76 54

ESTEC The Netherlands +31 71 565 6565

ESOC Germany +49 6151 900

ESRIN Italy +39 06 941 801

ESAC Spain +34 91 813 1100

EAC Germany +49 2203 6001 111

ESA Redu Belgium +32 61 229512

ECSAT United Kingdom +44 1235 567900

An ESA Communications Production Copyright © 2015 European Space Agency