The

European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...

(ESA) operates a number of

space missions Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly objects, usually spacecraft, into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such as ...

, both individually and in collaborations with other space agencies such as Japanese

JAXA The is the Japanese national air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into o ...

, U.S.

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

, Chinese

CNSA The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is a government agency of the People's Republic of China headquartered in Haidian, Beijing, responsible for civil space administration and international space cooperation. These responsibilities ...

, as well as space agencies of ESA member states (eg. French

CNES CNES () is the French national space agency. Headquartered in central Paris, the agency is overseen by the ministries of the Armed Forces, Economy and Finance and Higher Education, Research and Innovation. It operates from the Toulouse Spac ...

, Italian ASI, German DLR, Polish POLSA). A staple of the ESA's Science Doctrine is the Cosmic Vision Programme, a series of

space science Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

missions chosen by ESA to launch through competitions, similar to

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...

and New Frontiers programmes. It follows the Horizon 2000 and Horizon 2000+ programmes which launched notable missions such as '' Huygens'' (

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

lander), ''

Rosetta Rosetta ( ) or Rashid (, ; ) is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Rosetta Stone was discovered there in 1799. Founded around the 9th century on the site of the ancient town of Bolbitine, R ...

'' (comet orbiter and lander), and ''

Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; , a poetic form of ('), meaning 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea (), is the personification of Earth. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenogenic—of all life. She is the mother of Uranus (S ...

'' (astrometry telescope). These missions are divided into two categories: "Sun and Solar System",

space probes Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless f ...

studying the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...

(eg.

Solar Orbiter The Solar Orbiter (SolO) is a Sun-observing probe developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) with a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contribution. Solar Orbiter, designed to obtain detailed measurements of the inner heli ...

studying the

Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

and

JUICE Juice is a drink made from the extraction or Cold-pressed juice, pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat ...

currently on its way to

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

) and "Astrophysics",

space telescopes A space telescope (also known as space observatory) is a telescope in outer space used to observe astronomical objects. Suggested by Lyman Spitzer in 1946, the first operational telescopes were the American Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, ...

contributing to interstellar

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

(eg.

CHEOPS Khufu or Cheops (died 2566 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his father Sneferu as king. He is generally accep ...

characterising

exoplanets An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first confirmed detection of an exoplanet was in 1992 around a pulsar, and the first detection around a main-sequence star was in 1995. A different planet, first detec ...

and ''

Euclid Euclid (; ; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the '' Elements'' treatise, which established the foundations of geometry that largely domina ...

'' focused on

dark matter In astronomy, dark matter is an invisible and hypothetical form of matter that does not interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation. Dark matter is implied by gravity, gravitational effects that cannot be explained by general relat ...

and

dark energy In physical cosmology and astronomy, dark energy is a proposed form of energy that affects the universe on the largest scales. Its primary effect is to drive the accelerating expansion of the universe. It also slows the rate of structure format ...

). A similarly operated programme focused on

Earth observation Earth observation (EO) is the gathering of information about the physical, chemical, and biosphere, biological systems of the planet Earth. It can be performed via remote sensing, remote-sensing technologies (Earth observation satellites) or throu ...

, known as the

Living Planet Programme The Living Planet Programme (LPP) is a programme within the European Space Agency which is managed by the Earth Observation Programmes Directorate. LPP consists of two classes of Earth observation missions (listed below) including research miss ...

, has launched various "Earth Explorer" satellites, which serve many aspects of

Geoscience Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres ...

, often related to

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

. These include eg.

GOCE The Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) was the first of European Space Agency, ESA's Living Planet Programme satellite, heavy satellites intended to map in unprecedented detail the Earth's gravity field. The spacecr ...

and Swarm studying Earth's

gravitational In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force be ...

and

magnetic Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that occur through a magnetic field, which allows objects to attract or repel each other. Because both electric currents and magnetic moments of elementary particles give rise to a magnetic field, m ...

fields,

CryoSat-2 CryoSat-2 is a European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Explorer Mission that launched on April 8, 2010. CryoSat-2 is dedicated to measuring polar sea ice thickness and monitoring changes in ice sheets. Its primary objective is to measure the thinning ...

studying Earth's

polar ice cap A polar ice cap or polar cap is a high-latitude region of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite that is covered in ice. There are no requirements with respect to size or composition for a body of ice to be termed a polar ice cap, nor a ...

s, and

EarthCARE EarthCARE (derived from ''Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer''), nicknamed Hakuryū (Japanese for "white dragon"), is a joint European/Japanese ( ESA / JAXA / NICT) satellite, the sixth of ESA's Earth Explorer Programme. The main goal ...

characterising clouds and

aerosol An aerosol is a suspension (chemistry), suspension of fine solid particles or liquid Drop (liquid), droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be generated from natural or Human impact on the environment, human causes. The term ''aerosol'' co ...

s in the atmosphere. The Earth Explorer missions will be complemented by a series of smaller "Scout" satellites. A number of Solar System, Astrophysics, and Earth observation missions by ESA have operated outside of a canonical programme, such as ''

Giotto Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto, was an List of Italian painters, Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the International Gothic, Gothic and Italian Ren ...

'', ''

Ulysses Ulysses is the Latin name for Odysseus, a legendary Greek hero recognized for his intelligence and cunning. He is famous for his long, adventurous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, as narrated in Homer's Odyssey. Ulysses may also refer ...

'', ''

Mars Express ''Mars Express'' is a space exploration mission by the European Space Agency, European Space Agency (ESA) exploring the planet Mars and its moons since 2003, and the first planetary mission attempted by ESA. ''Mars Express'' consisted of two ...

'', ''

Hipparcos ''Hipparcos'' was a scientific satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA), launched in 1989 and operated until 1993. It was the first space experiment devoted to precision astrometry, the accurate measurement of the positions and distances of ...

'', or ''

Envisat Envisat ("Environmental Satellite") is a large Earth-observing satellite which has been inactive since 2012. It is still in orbit and considered space debris. Operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), it was the world's largest civilian Ear ...

''. ESA also takes part in

human spaceflight Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be ...

missions of other space agencies, eg. by providing

European astronauts European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

and major hardware components to the

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...

, ''

Mir ''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...

'',

ISS The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...

, and ''

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

'' programmes and supporting the '' Gaganyyan'' programme. ESA works with European space industry on development of

launch vehicle A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites) from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage ...

s and reentry systems like the ''Ariane'' and ''

Vega Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, and ...

'' rockets and the ''

Space Rider The Space Rider (Space Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for Europe Return) is a planned uncrewed orbital lifting body spaceplane aiming to provide the European Space Agency (ESA) with affordable and routine access to space.satellite constellation A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...

s for Earth observation, meteorology, communication, and navigation, eg. ''

Meteosat The Meteosat series of satellites are geostationary meteorological satellites operated by EUMETSAT under the Meteosat Transition Programme (MTP) and the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) program. The MTP program was established to ensure the oper ...

'', ''

Sentinel Sentinel may refer to: Places Mountains * Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana * Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica * Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring granit ...

'', ''

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...

'', or EDRS. ESA's portfolio also includes public-private partnerships with European satellite operators such as

Eutelsat Eutelsat S.A. is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it has been the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues. Its subsidiary E ...

and

Inmarsat Inmarsat is a British communications satellite, satellite telecommunications company, offering global mobile services. It provides telephone and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate with groun ...

Horizon 2000 Programme

Cornerstone missions

* ''Cornerstone 1'' –

SOHO SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

, launched December 1995, – Joint ESA-

Solar observation Solar observation is the scientific endeavor of studying the Sun and its behavior and relation to the Earth and the remainder of the Solar System. Deliberate solar observation began thousands of years ago. That initial era of direct observation g ...

mission providing real-time data for

space weather Space weather is a branch of space physics and aeronomy, or heliophysics, concerned with the varying conditions within the Solar System and its heliosphere. This includes the effects of the solar wind, especially on the Earth's magnetosphere, ion ...

forecasting. * ''Cornerstone 1'' –

Cluster may refer to: Science and technology Astronomy * Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft * Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study the magnetosphere * Asteroid cluster, a small ...

, launched June 1996, –

mission using four identical spacecraft to study the planet's

magnetosphere In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a celestial body with an active interior Dynamo ...

. Failed on launch. ** ''Re-launch'' – Cluster II, launched July and August 2000, – Successful replacement mission. * ''Cornerstone 2'' – ''

XMM-Newton ''XMM-Newton'', also known as the High Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy Mission and the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission, is an X-ray space observatory launched by the European Space Agency in December 1999 on an Ariane 5 rocket. It is the second corners ...

'', launched December 1999, – An

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

space telescope A space telescope (also known as space observatory) is a telescope in outer space used to observe astronomical objects. Suggested by Lyman Spitzer in 1946, the first operational telescopes were the American Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, OAO ...

, studying the full range of cosmic X-ray sources. * ''Cornerstone 3'' – ''

'', launched March 2004, –

67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (abbreviated as 67P or 67P/C–G) is a Jupiter-family comet. It is originally from the Kuiper belt and has an orbital period of 6.45 years as of 2012, a rotation period of approximately 12.4 hours, and a maximum velo ...

orbiter mission, studying

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...

s and their evolution. * ''Cornerstone 4'' – '' Herschel'', launched May 2009, –

Infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...

space observatory mission for general astronomy.

Medium-sized missions

* ''Medium 1'' – '' Huygens'', launched October 1997, –

lander component of the ''

Cassini–Huygens ''Cassini–Huygens'' ( ), commonly called ''Cassini'', was a space research, space-research mission by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to send a space probe to study the planet Saturn and its system, i ...

'' mission; first landing in the outer solar system. * ''Medium 2'' –

INTEGRAL In mathematics, an integral is the continuous analog of a Summation, sum, which is used to calculate area, areas, volume, volumes, and their generalizations. Integration, the process of computing an integral, is one of the two fundamental oper ...

, launched October 2002, – Gamma ray space observatory, also capable of observing X-ray and visible wavelengths. * ''Medium 3'' – ''

Planck Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck (; ; 23 April 1858 – 4 October 1947) was a German theoretical physicist whose discovery of energy quanta won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck made many substantial contributions to theoretical p ...

'', launched May 2009, –

Cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...

mission that mapped the

cosmic microwave background The cosmic microwave background (CMB, CMBR), or relic radiation, is microwave radiation that fills all space in the observable universe. With a standard optical telescope, the background space between stars and galaxies is almost completely dar ...

and its

anisotropies Anisotropy () is the structural property of non-uniformity in different directions, as opposed to isotropy. An anisotropic object or pattern has properties that differ according to direction of measurement. For example, many materials exhibit ver ...

Horizon 2000+

* ''Mission 1'' – ''

'', launched December 2013, –

Astrometry Astrometry is a branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other Astronomical object, celestial bodies. It provides the kinematics and physical origin of the Solar System and this galaxy, th ...

mission measuring positions and distances of over one billion objects in the

Milky Way The Milky Way or Milky Way Galaxy is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the #Appearance, galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars in other arms of the galax ...

. * ''Mission 2'' –

LISA Pathfinder LISA Pathfinder, formerly Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology-2 (SMART-2), was an ESA spacecraft that was launched on 3 December 2015 on board Vega flight VV06. The mission tested technologies needed for the Laser Interferometer ...

, launched December 2015, – Demonstration of technologies for the

Cosmic Vision Cosmic Vision is the third campaign of space science and space exploration missions in the Science Programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). Formulated in 2005 as ''Cosmic Vision: Space Science for Europe 2015–2025'', the campaign succee ...

LISA Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA" * Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978) * Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980) * Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...

Gravitational-wave observatory A gravitational-wave detector (used in a gravitational-wave observatory) is any device designed to measure tiny distortions of spacetime called gravitational waves. Since the 1960s, various kinds of gravitational-wave detectors have been built ...

mission. * ''Mission 3'' – ''

BepiColombo BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two satellites launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and ''Mio'' ...

'', launched October 2018, – Joint ESA-

reconnaissance mission to Mercury, using two unique spacecraft operating respectively.

Cosmic Vision Programme

S-class missions

* ''S1'' –

, launched December 2019, –

mission focused on studying known

. * ''S2'' –

SMILE A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses d ...

, launching 2025, – Joint ESA- CAS

mission, studying the interaction between the planet's magnetosphere and

solar wind The solar wind is a stream of charged particles released from the Sun's outermost atmospheric layer, the Stellar corona, corona. This Plasma (physics), plasma mostly consists of electrons, protons and alpha particles with kinetic energy betwee ...

M-class missions

* ''M1'' – ''

'', launched February 2020, – Solar observatory mission, designed to perform in-situ studies of the Sun at a perihelion of 0.28

astronomical units The astronomical unit (symbol: au or AU) is a unit of length defined to be exactly equal to . Historically, the astronomical unit was conceived as the average Earth-Sun distance (the average of Earth's aphelion and perihelion), before its mode ...

. * ''M2'' – ''

'', launched July 2023, – Visible and near-infrared space observatory mission focused on

and

. * ''M3'' –

PLATO Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

, launching 2026, – ''

Kepler Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws of p ...

''-like space observatory mission, aimed at discovering and observing exoplanets. * ''M4'' –

ARIEL Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki *, a Russian film directed by Yevgeni Kotov * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', a 1989 and 1991 ...

, launching 2029, – ''

''-based space observatory mission studying the atmosphere of known exoplanets. * ''M5'' – ''EnVision'', launching 2031, – Venus mapping orbiter mission.

L-class missions

* ''L1'' –

, launched April 2023 with an orbital insertion in July 2031, –

orbiter mission, focused on studying the

Galilean moons The Galilean moons (), or Galilean satellites, are the four largest moons of Jupiter. They are, in descending-size order, Ganymede (moon), Ganymede, Callisto (moon), Callisto, Io (moon), Io, and Europa (moon), Europa. They are the most apparent m ...

Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliffs, Alexan ...

, Ganymede and

Callisto CALLISTO (''Cooperative Action Leading to Launcher Innovation in Stage Toss-back Operations'') is a reusable VTVL Prototype, demonstrator propelled by a small 40 kN Japanese LOX-LH2 rocket engine. It is being developed jointly by the CNES, French ...

. * ''L2'' –

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

, launching 2037, – X-ray space observatory mission, designed as a successor to the ''

'' telescope. * ''L3'' –

, launching 2035, – the first dedicated

gravitational wave Gravitational waves are oscillations of the gravitational field that Wave propagation, travel through space at the speed of light; they are generated by the relative motion of gravity, gravitating masses. They were proposed by Oliver Heaviside i ...

space observatory mission.

F-class missions

* ''F1'' -

Comet Interceptor The ''Comet Interceptor'' is a robotic spacecraft mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) planned for launch in 2029. The spacecraft will be "parked" at the Lagrangian point, Sun-Earth L2 point and wait for up to three years for a long-p ...

, launching 2029, – Comet flyby mission. * ''F2'' –

ARRAKIHS ARRAKIHS is a planned astronomical satellite mission by European Space Agency (ESA). It will study dark matter haloes of galaxies. It was selected in 2022, and is expected to be launched in the early 2030's. ARRAKIHS will observe 75 galaxies for 1 ...

, launching in the early 2030s, – Survey of one hundred nearby galaxies and their surroundings to investigate

dwarf galaxies A dwarf galaxy is a small galaxy composed of about 1000 up to several billion stars, as compared to the Milky Way's 200–400 billion stars. The Large Magellanic Cloud, which closely orbits the Milky Way and contains over 30 billion stars, is so ...

and

stellar streams This is a list of stellar streams. A stellar stream is an association of stars orbiting a galaxy. It was once a globular cluster or dwarf galaxy that has now been torn apart and stretched out along its orbit by tidal forces. An exception in the ...

Living Planet Programme

Core missions

* ''Earth Explorer 1'' –

, launched March 2009, —

Gravimetry Gravimetry is the measurement of the strength of a gravitational field. Gravimetry may be used when either the magnitude of a gravitational field or the properties of matter responsible for its creation are of interest. The study of gravity c ...

mission, aimed at accurately mapping Earth's

gravity field In physics, a gravitational field or gravitational acceleration field is a vector field used to explain the influences that a body extends into the space around itself. A gravitational field is used to explain gravitational phenomena, such as ...

. * ''Earth Explorer 5'' –

ADM-Aeolus Aeolus, or, in full, Atmospheric Dynamics Mission-Aeolus (ADM-Aeolus), was an Earth observation satellite operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was built by Airbus Defence and Space, launched on 22 August 2018, and operated until it w ...

, re-entry July 2023, –

Meteorology Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agricultur ...

mission, performed by a spacecraft equipped to create global wind component profiles to aid more advanced

weather forecasting Weather forecasting or weather prediction is the application of science and technology forecasting, to predict the conditions of the Earth's atmosphere, atmosphere for a given location and time. People have attempted to predict the weather info ...

. * ''Earth Explorer 6'' –

, launched May 2024, – Joint ESA-

meteorology and

climatology Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "slope"; and , '' -logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. Climate concerns the atmospher ...

mission, aimed at the characterization of clouds and

s, along with measurements of reflected and emitted

radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'' consisting of photons, such as radio waves, microwaves, infr ...

from Earth's surface. * ''Earth Explorer 7'' –

Biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...

, launched in April 2025, –

Ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...

mission, studying the

carbon cycle The carbon cycle is a part of the biogeochemical cycle where carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of Earth. Other major biogeochemical cycles include the nitrogen cycle and the water cycl ...

and

forest ecology Forest ecology is the scientific study of the interrelated patterns, processes, flora, fauna, funga, and ecosystems in forests. The management of forests is known as forestry, silviculture, and forest management. A forest ecosystem is a natural wo ...

, observing the development of forests and their characteristics. * ''Earth Explorer 9'' –

FORUM Forum or The Forum may refer to: Common uses *Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example * Internet forum, discussion board ...

, launching 2027, –

Climatology Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "slope"; and , '' -logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. Climate concerns the atmospher ...

mission, aimed at measuring far-infrared outgoing radiation emissions in order to understand Earth's surface temperature regulation. * ''Earth Explorer 10'' –

Harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

, launching 2029, – Formation flying

synthetic aperture radar Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or 3D reconstruction, three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a target regi ...

mission.

Opportunity missions

* ''Earth Explorer 2'' – SMOS, launched November 2009, — Climatology mission, focused on studying Earth's

water cycle The water cycle (or hydrologic cycle or hydrological cycle) is a biogeochemical cycle that involves the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth across different reservoirs. The mass of water on Earth remains fai ...

and

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

. * ''Earth Explorer 3'' –

, launched April 2010, — Environmental science and

glaciology Glaciology (; ) is the scientific study of glaciers, or, more generally, ice and natural phenomena that involve ice. Glaciology is an interdisciplinary Earth science that integrates geophysics, geology, physical geography, geomorphology, clim ...

mission, focused on studying Earth's

s. Successful relaunch of the failed ''

CryoSat CryoSat is an European Space Agency, ESA programme to monitor variations in the extent and thickness of polar ice through use of a satellite in low Earth orbit. The information provided about the behaviour of coastal glaciers that drain thinning ic ...

'' mission. * ''Earth Explorer 4'' – Swarm, launched November 2013, —

Magnetosphere In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a celestial body with an active interior Dynamo ...

mission, carried out by a trio of spacecraft launched to study

Earth's magnetic field Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from structure of Earth, Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from ...

. * ''Earth Explorer 8'' –

FLEX Flex or FLEX may refer to: Computing * Apache Flex, formerly Adobe Flex, technologies for developing rich internet applications * Flex (language), developed by Alan Kay * FLEX (operating system), a single-tasking operating system for the Motorol ...

, launching 2026, –

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

mission, aimed at measuring the amount of

chlorophyll fluorescence Chlorophyll fluorescence is light re-emitted by chlorophyll molecules during return from Excited state, excited to non-excited states. It is used as an indicator of photosynthetic energy conversion in plants, algae and bacteria. Excited chlorop ...

in terrestrial vegetation.

Human spaceflight

European Astronaut Corps The European Astronaut Corps is a unit of the European Space Agency (ESA) that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members on U.S. and Russian space missions. The corps has 13 active members, able to serve on the International Space St ...

, since 1983, – selects, trains, and provides European astronauts as crew members on

and

Roscosmos The State Corporation for Space Activities "Roscosmos", commonly known simply as Roscosmos (), is a State corporation (Russia), state corporation of the Russian Federation responsible for space science, space flights, List of space agencies, c ...

space missions * ''

Spacelab Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...

'', launched between 1983 and 1998, – a reusable crewed laboratory developed by ESA and used on certain flights of the

Euromir Euromir was an international space programme in the 1990s. Between the Russian Federal Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA), it would bring European astronauts to the Mir space station. Euromir was part of a drive in the early 1990s ...

, launched in 1994 and 1995, – ESA astronaut missions to the ''

'' space station * European contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), since 2008, ** ''Columbus'', launched in February 2008, – a crewed laboratory module *** ''Columbus'' External Payload Facility, launched in February 2008, – two platforms for external payloads attached to the starboard cone of ''Columbus'' *** ''

Bartolomeo Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine Italian given name, the Italian equivalent of Bartholomew. Its diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with the name include: * Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (1824–1860), Italian paleobotanist and ...

'', launched in April 2020, – a platform for external payloads attached to ''Columbus'' ** Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), launched between 2008 and 2015, – an expendable

cargo spacecraft Uncrewed spacecraft or robotic spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board. Uncrewed spacecraft may have varying levels of autonomy from human input, such as remote control, or remote guidance. They may also be autonomous, in which the ...

** ''

Cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

'', launched in February 2010, – an

ESA The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 in the context of European ...

-built observatory module ** European Robotic Arm (ERA), launched in July 2021, – a

robotic arm A robotic arm is a type of mechanical arm, usually programmable, with similar functions to a human arm; the arm may be the sum total of the mechanism or may be part of a more complex robot. The links of such a manipulator are connected by join ...

that is attached to the

Russian segment Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

of the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

* European Service Module (ESM), first launched in November 2022, – a component of the crewed ''Orion'' spacecraft, part of the NASA-led

Artemis program The Artemis program is a Exploration of the Moon, Moon exploration program led by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), formally established in 2017 via Space Policy Directive 1. The program's stated long-ter ...

* ESA participation in

Axiom An axiom, postulate, or assumption is a statement that is taken to be true, to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments. The word comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning 'that which is thought worthy or ...

missions, since 2024, – ESA astronauts on short-term private flights to ISS ** Muninn on

Axiom Mission 3 Axiom Mission 3 (or Ax-3) was a private spaceflight to the International Space Station. The flight launched on 18 January 2024, and lasted for 21 days, successfully splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. It was operated by Axiom Space and used a ...

, launched January 2024, ** Ignis on

Axiom Mission 4 Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4) is a private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) operated by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX and NASA. It used SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to place into low Earth orbit. This is the maiden fli ...

, launching June 2025, * European contribution to the ''Lunar Gateway'', first launch planned for 2027, – an international crewed space station in lunar orbit, part of the NASA-led

** European Radiation Sensors Array (ERSA), launch planned for 2027, – ESA-built component of the NASA HALO module ** ''LunarLink'', launch planned for 2027, – ESA-built communication equipment package connected to the NASA HALO module ** ''Lunar I-Hab'', launch planned for 2028, – joint ESA-

habitat module ** ESPRIT Refueling Module (ERM), launch planned for 2030, – a crewed service module providing refueling, communications equipment, habitation area, and storage * LEO Cargo Return Service, first launch planned for 2030, – a program to develop space capsules capable of resupplying space stations and returning cargo from orbit. As of 2025, development of two vehicles is being supported by ESA: **

The Exploration Company The Exploration Company (TEC) is a European aerospace company developing reusable spacecraft and space logistics solutions to advance sustainable exploration beyond Earth. Founded in 2021, TEC is headquartered in Munich and Bordeaux, with addition ...

's ''Nyx'' capsule **

Thales Alenia Space Thales Alenia Space () is a joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (company), Leonardo (33%). The company is headquartered in Cannes, France. It provides space-based ...

's capsule * ''

Hermes Hermes (; ) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology considered the herald of the gods. He is also widely considered the protector of human heralds, travelers, thieves, merchants, and orators. He is able to move quic ...

'', – proposed

program centered around a CNES-designed reusable

spaceplane A spaceplane is a vehicle that can flight, fly and gliding flight, glide as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and function as a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbit ...

. Project cancelled in 1992 due to difficulties with achieving financial and scientific goals * ''Columbus'' Man-Tended Free Flyer, – proposed space station intended to be serviced by the ''Hermes'' spaceplane * ''

Hopper Hopper or hoppers may refer to: Places * Hopper, Illinois * Hopper, West Virginia * Hopper, a mountain and valley in the Hunza–Nagar District of Pakistan * Hopper (crater), a crater on Mercury People * Hopper (surname) Insects * Hopper, the ...

'', – successor concept to ''Hermes''. Cancelled in 2005 after lack of interest * CSTS, – former proposed design for a crewed spacecraft for low Earth orbit operations * ''Aurora'' programme, – ESA human spaceflight programme from 2001

Earth-based activities

* AMASE, between 2003 and 2011, – expeditions to Mars analog sites on

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), previously known as Spitsbergen or Spitzbergen, is a Norway, Norwegian archipelago that lies at the convergence of the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. North of continental Europe, mainland Europe, it lies about midway be ...

Concordia Station Concordia Research Station, which opened in 2005, is a French–Italian research facility managed by l' Institut polaire français Paul-Émile Victor and Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide, that was built above sea level on a geogra ...

, since 2005, – all-year research station on the

Antarctic Plateau The Antarctic Plateau, Polar Plateau or King Haakon VII Plateau is a large area of East Antarctica that extends over a diameter of about , and includes the region of the geographic South Pole and the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. Thi ...

NEEMO NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, is a NASA analog mission that sends groups of astronauts, engineers and scientists to live in the Aquarius underwater laboratory, the world's only undersea research station, for up to three ...

, between 2015 and 2019, – ESA astronauts participating in NASA-led missions to the Aquarius underwater laboratory *

PANGAEA Pangaea or Pangea ( ) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from the earlier continental units of Gondwana, Euramerica and Siberia during the Carboniferous period approximately 335 mi ...

, since 2016, – ESA-developed

astronaut training Astronaut training describes the complex process of preparing astronauts in regions around the world for their space missions before, during and after the flight, which includes medical tests, physical training, extra-vehicular activity (EVA) tra ...

field course focused on

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

and

astrobiology Astrobiology (also xenology or exobiology) is a scientific field within the List of life sciences, life and environmental sciences that studies the abiogenesis, origins, Protocell, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the univ ...

* ''LunAres'', since 2017, – private Mars and Moon analog laboratory in

Piła Piła (; ) is a city in northwestern Poland and the capital of Piła County, situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Its population was 71,846, making it the city in the voivodeship after Poznań and Kalisz and the largest city in the north ...

, in partnership with

and POLSA *

LUNA Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin, Spanish and other languages * Luna (goddess) In Sabine and ancient Roman religion and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon (Latin ''Lūna'' ). She is often presented as t ...

, since 2024, – joint ESA- DLR lunar analogue facility in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

Launch, reentry, and in-space transport

* ''

Ariane 1 Ariane 1 () was the first rocket in the Ariane family of expendable launch systems. It was developed for and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), which had been formed in 1973, the same year that development of the launcher had commenc ...

'', ''

Ariane 2 Ariane 2 was a European expendable space launch vehicle, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) between 1986 and 1989 as part of Ariane family of rockets. The principal manufacturer for the Ariane 2 was Aérospatiale, while the lead agen ...

'', ''

Ariane 3 Ariane 3 was a European expendable carrier rocket, which was used for eleven launches between 1984 and 1989. It was a member of the Ariane family of rockets. The principal manufacturer for the Ariane 3 was Aérospatiale, while the lead agency f ...

'', ''

Ariane 4 The Ariane 4 was a European expendable rocket, expendable launch vehicle in the Ariane (rocket family), Ariane family, developed by the (CNES), the Government of France, French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). The manufacturi ...

'', and ''

Ariane 5 Ariane 5 is a retired European heavy-lift space launch vehicle operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver payloads into geostationar ...

'', launched between 1979 and 2023, – past

expendable launch systems An expendable launch system (or expendable launch vehicle/ELV) is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are destroyed during reentry or impact with Earth, or discarded in space. ELVs typically consist of s ...

of the Ariane rocket family developed for ESA * Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD), launched October 1998, – demonstration mission to test new technologies in

atmospheric entry Atmospheric entry (sometimes listed as Vimpact or Ventry) is the movement of an object from outer space into and through the gases of an atmosphere of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite. Atmospheric entry may be ''uncontrolled entr ...

design * ''

'', launched between 2012 and 2024, – an

expendable ''Expendable'' is a science fiction novel by the Canadian author James Alan Gardner, published in 1997 by HarperCollins Publishers under its various imprints.Avon Books; HarperCollins Canada; SFBC/AvoNova. Paperback edition 1997, Eos Books. It i ...

small-lift launch vehicle A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting or less (by NASA classification) or under (by Roscosmos classification) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category is medium-lift l ...

developed jointly by ESA and ISA *

Future Launchers Preparatory Programme The Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) is a technology development and maturation programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). It develops technologies for the application in future European launch vehicles and in upgrades to exist ...

, since 2004, – ESA rocket development projects ** Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), launched February 2015, – experimental suborbital re-entry vehicle; demonstration mission for reusable launchers ** ''Vinci'', first launch in 2024, – restartable,

cryogenic In physics, cryogenics is the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures. The 13th International Institute of Refrigeration's (IIR) International Congress of Refrigeration (held in Washington, DC in 1971) endorsed a univers ...

liquid-propellant rocket A liquid-propellant rocket or liquid rocket uses a rocket engine burning liquid rocket propellant, liquid propellants. (Alternate approaches use gaseous or Solid-propellant rocket , solid propellants.) Liquids are desirable propellants because th ...

engine that powers the

upper stage A multistage rocket or step rocket is a launch vehicle that uses two or more rocket ''stages'', each of which contains its own Rocket engine, engines and Rocket propellant, propellant. A ''tandem'' or ''serial'' stage is mounted on top of anoth ...

Ariane 6 Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operate ...

** ''

Space Rider The Space Rider (Space Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for Europe Return) is a planned uncrewed orbital lifting body spaceplane aiming to provide the European Space Agency (ESA) with affordable and routine access to space.Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe The Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe (PRIDE) is an Italian Space Agency programme that aims to develop a reusable robotic spaceplane named Space Rider in collaboration with the European Space Agency. The PRIDE programme was ...

and a successor to IXV ** ''Prometheus'', –

methalox The highest specific impulse chemical rockets use liquid propellants (liquid-propellant rockets). They can consist of a single chemical (a monopropellant) or a mix of two chemicals, called bipropellants. Bipropellants can further be divided into ...

spacecraft propulsion system ** ''Themis'', – ESA programme to develop a prototype reusable rocket first stage using the Prometheus rocket engine. A similar project called

CALLISTO CALLISTO (''Cooperative Action Leading to Launcher Innovation in Stage Toss-back Operations'') is a reusable VTVL Prototype, demonstrator propelled by a small 40 kN Japanese LOX-LH2 rocket engine. It is being developed jointly by the CNES, French ...

is being independently developed by

, DLR, and

* ''

Vega C VegaC, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, small-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility. Approved for de ...

'', first launch in 2022, – a European

, an evolution of the original

launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility * ''

'', first launch in 2024, – a European expendable launch system developed for ESA and manufactured by

ArianeGroup ArianeGroup (formerly Airbus Safran Launchers) is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. It consists of three core ...

. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by

Arianespace Arianespace SA is a French company founded in March 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It operates two launch vehicles: Vega C, a Small-lift launch vehicle, small-lift rocket, and Ariane 6, a Medium-lift launch vehicl ...

, replacing the

* ''Boost!'' programme, since 2020, – support for European commercial initiatives that offer transportation services to space, in space, and returning from space. The supported projects include: **

Isar Aerospace Isar Aerospace is a German aerospace company based in Ottobrunn near Munich. The company was founded in 2018. The company is named after a river that flows through Munich. Development The company is developing Spectrum, a two-stage, liquid-fue ...

's ''Spectrum'' launch vehicle **

Orbex Orbital Express Launch Ltd., or Orbex, is a United Kingdom-based aerospace company that is developing a small commercial orbital rocket called Prime. Orbex is headquartered in Forres, Moray, in Scotland and has subsidiaries in Denmark and Germany ...

's ''Prime'' launch vehicle **

Rocket Factory Augsburg Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) is a German NewSpace start-up located in Augsburg. It was founded in 2018 with the mission to build rockets just like cars. Its multistage rocket, RFA One, is currently under development. , it had been sched ...

's ''

RFA One RFA One is a small-lift multistage launch vehicle with an on-orbit transfer stage designed to transport small and micro-satellites of up to 1,300 kg into low-Earth polar and Sun-synchronous orbits. It has been in development by Germa ...

'' launch vehicle **

PLD Space Payload Aerospace S.L. (PLD Space) is a Spanish company developing two partially-reusable launch vehicles called Miura 1 and Miura 5. Miura 1 is designed as a sounding rocket for sub-orbital flights to perform research or technology development i ...

's ''

Miura 5 Miura 5 is a two-stage European orbital Reusable launch system, recoverable launch vehicle currently under development by the Spanish company PLD Space. In a standard two-stage configuration, it will have a length of 34 m, be capable of inserting ...

'' launch vehicle **

Skyrora Skyrora Ltd is a British private space company based in Glasgow, Scotland, since 2017, while its design and manufacturing facility is in Cumbernauld. Skyrora focuses on designing and manufacturing launch vehicles for small satellites and porta ...

's ''XL'' launch vehicle **

HyImpulse HyImpulse is a German private space launch enterprise headquartered in Neuenstadt am Kocher and developing a small launch vehicle designed around hybrid-propellant rockets. The company is a DLR spinoff founded in 2018 out of the chemical propuls ...

's ''SL1'' launch vehicle **

Space Forge Space Forge is a British aerospace manufacturing company headquartered in Cardiff, Wales. Its focus is to develop reusable on-orbit fabrication capabilities to enable the novel production of semiconductors and alloys in microgravity. Histor ...

's ''ForgeStar'' reentry vehicle ** SpaceForest's ''Perun'' suborbital

sounding rocket A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The rockets are often ...

D-Orbit D-Orbit (as in de-orbit) is a private aerospace company headquartered in Italy with subsidiaries in Portugal, UK, US and a joint venture in the US, D-Orbit USA. D-Orbit is mainly active in the Space tug also known as orbital transfer vehicle ( ...

's ''ION'' satellite carrier ** The Omega service consortium's satellite propulsion systems * European Launcher Challenge, since 2025, – ESA-funded competition to support new launch vehicles with up to 169 million euro for each selected vehicle * ''Ariane'' ''Next'', – a partially reusable launcher planned to succeed

EXPERT An expert is somebody who has a broad and deep understanding and competence in terms of knowledge, skill and experience through practice and education in a particular field or area of study. Informally, an expert is someone widely recognized ...

, – concept for a flying hypersonic re-entry vehicle with cooperation with

. Indefinitely postponed since 2012, due to Roscosmos' withdrawal from the project

Solar system exploration

ISEE-2 The ISEE-2 (International Sun-Earth Explorer-B or ISEE-B) was an Explorer-class daughter spacecraft, International Sun-Earth Explorer-2, was part of the mother/daughter/heliocentric mission (ISEE-1, ISEE-2, ISEE-3). ISEE-2 was a space probe use ...

, launched October 1977, – ESA component of the Joint

-ESA International Sun-Earth Explorer series of magnetospheric observations * '' Giotto'', launched July 1985, – first interplanetary mission by the ESA, aimed at performing the first

flyby, of

Comet Halley Halley's Comet is the only known short-period comet that is consistently visible to the naked eye from Earth, appearing every 72–80 years, though with the majority of recorded apparitions (25 of 30) occurring after 75–77 years. It last ...

. Part of the canonical

Halley Armada The Halley Armada is the name of a series of space probes, five of which were successful, sent to examine Halley's Comet during its 1986 sojourn through the inner Solar System, connected with apparition "1P/1982 U1". The armada included one prob ...

* '' Ulysses'', launched October 1990, – joint ESA-NASA

Solar observatory A solar telescope or a solar observatory is a special-purpose telescope used to observe the Sun. Solar telescopes usually detect light with wavelengths in, or not far outside, the visible spectrum. Obsolete names for Sun telescopes include helio ...

mission, employing a spacecraft in a polar heliocentric orbit *

SMART-1 SMART-1 was a European Space Agency satellite that orbited the Moon. It was launched on 27 September 2003 at 23:14 Coordinated Universal Time, UTC from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. "SMART-1" stands for Small Missions for Ad ...

, launched September 2003, – demonstration mission for

solar electric propulsion Solar electric propulsion (SEP) is the combination of solar cells and electric thrusters to propel a spacecraft through outer space. This technology has been exploited in a variety of spacecraft designs by the European Space Agency (ESA), ...

, manifesting in a

lunar Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon". Lunar may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games * "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta * "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...

orbiter mission carrying low-cost, miniaturised instruments * '' Mars Express'', launched June 2003, –

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

orbiter mission focused on observing the planet through high-resolution imagery and conducting research of the planet's interaction with the solar system * '' Venus Express'', launched November 2005, –

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

orbiter mission, focused on long-term study and observation of its

atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

from polar cytherocentric orbit * '' Schiaparelli'', launched March 2016, – demonstration mission for landing technologies designed for the ''

ExoMars ExoMars (Exobiology on Mars) is an astrobiology programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). The goals of ExoMars are to search for signs of past life on Mars, investigate how the Martian water and geochemical environment varies, investigate ...

'' surface platform. Failed upon landing on

* Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), launched March 2016, – Mars orbiter component of the ''

mission, focused on observing

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The abundance of methane on Earth makes ...

in the planet's atmosphere for clues to past or present

life on Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no conclusive evidence of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that ...

* Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), launched April 2023, – mission to study Jupiter's three icy moons

and Ganymede, eventually orbiting Ganymede as the first spacecraft to orbit a satellite of another planet * '' Hera'', launched October 2024, – European asteroid probe aimed at studying the effects of a NEO's

impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a large force or mechanical shock over a short period of time * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...

created by NASA's

DART Dart or DART may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Dart, the equipment in the game of darts * Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero * Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe'' * Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character * Dart ...

mission using

65803 Didymos 65803 Didymos (Minor planet provisional designation, provisional designation ) is a sub-kilometer asteroid and Binary asteroid, binary system that is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid and near-Earth object of the Apollo asteroid, A ...

's moon (

Dimorphos Dimorphos (formal designation (65803) Didymos I; provisional designation S/2003 (65803) 1) is a natural satellite or minor-planet moon, moon of the near-Earth object, near-Earth asteroid 65803 Didymos, with which it forms a Binary asteroid, bina ...

) as a target * HENON, scheduled to launch in 2026, – a

mission, ESA’s first ever stand-alone deep space

cubesat A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit,, url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/5f24997b6deea10cc52bb016/1596234122437/CDS+REV14+2020-07-3 ...

* ''

Lunar Pathfinder The Commercial Lunar Mission Support Services (CLMSS), also called Lunar Mission Support Services ''Moonlight'' Initiative * Earth Return Orbiter (ERO), scheduled to launch in 2027, – ESA component of the joint

NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return The NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return is a proposed Large strategic science missions, Flagship-class Mars sample return (MSR) mission to collect Martian rock and soil samples in 43 small, cylindrical, pencil-sized, titanium tubes and sample-return mi ...

mission * '' M-Argo'', launch planned for 2027, – a

mission to an asteroid *

LUMIO Lumio (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. Population See also *Communes of the Haute-Corse department The following is a list of the 236 Communes of France, communes of the Haute-Corse ...

, launch planned for 2027, – a

mission to characterize the impacts of near-Earth meteoroids on the lunar far side * ''Moonlight'', launching 2028 onward, – a constellation of communication and navigation satellites around the Moon. Part of the NASA-ESA-JAXA project LunaNet * ''Rosalind Franklin'', launching 2028, – an ''

'' program

landing mission. Planned to be the first European

Mars rover A Mars rover is a remote-controlled motor vehicle designed to travel on the surface of Mars. Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place them ...

* ''Ramses'', launch planned for April 2028, – mission to near-Earth asteroid

99942 Apophis 99942 Apophis ( provisional designation ) is a near-Earth asteroid and a potentially hazardous object, 450 metres (1,480 ft) by 170 metres (560 ft) in size, that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 when initial observatio ...

. Funding decision expected in late 2025 * VMMO, launch planned for 2028, –

mission to map the distribution of water ice and

ilmenite Ilmenite is a titanium-iron oxide mineral with the idealized formula . It is a weakly magnetic black or steel-gray solid. Ilmenite is the most important ore of titanium and the main source of titanium dioxide, which is used in paints, printi ...

in the Moon's shadowed polar regions * MAGPIE, – Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration, the first lunar rover mission by ESA; developed by

ispace iSpace or i-Space may refer to: * i-Space (Chinese company), a private Chinese rocket manufacturer company * ispace Inc., a publicly traded Japanese lunar exploration company * I-Space (conceptual framework), a method to classify various types of ...

* ''Argonaut'', first launch planned for 2031, – a class of large lunar landers for lunar logistics * ''LightShip'' Propulsive Tug, first launch planned for 2032, – a propulsive tug for interplanetary transfer to

* ''SpotLight'' Passenger Spacecraft, launch planned for 2032, – the first spacecraft to be delivered to Mars by ''LightShip'', part of the LightShip-1 mission * 2035 Mars lander, launch planned for 2035, – a larger follow-up to ''

Rosalind Franklin Rosalind Elsie Franklin (25 July 192016 April 1958) was a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer. Her work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), viruses, coal ...

'' with high-precision landing on Mars *

ODINUS ODINUS (Origins, Dynamics, and Interiors of the Neptunian and Uranian Systems) is a space mission concept proposed to the European Space Agency's Cosmic Vision programme. The ODINUS mission concept proposes to expand the Uranus orbiter and probe ...

, – a dual

Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is a gaseous cyan-coloured ice giant. Most of the planet is made of water, ammonia, and methane in a Supercritical fluid, supercritical phase of matter, which astronomy calls "ice" or Volatile ( ...

and

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

orbital mission. Proposed for the L2 and L3 missions of the Cosmic Vision programme, but eliminated from the running both times * '' Marco Polo'', – a

sample-return mission A sample-return mission is a spacecraft mission to collect and return samples from an extraterrestrial location to Earth for analysis. Sample-return missions may bring back merely atoms and molecules or a deposit of complex compounds such as lo ...

focused on collecting and returning a sample from a

Near-Earth object A near-Earth object (NEO) is any small Solar System body orbiting the Sun whose closest approach to the Sun ( perihelion) is less than 1.3 times the Earth–Sun distance (astronomical unit, AU). This definition applies to the object's orbit a ...

. Proposed for the M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 missions of the Cosmic Vision programme, it has since been rejected all five times * ''

Don Quijote Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, G ...

'', – concept for a demonstration mission, testing technologies in

asteroid deflection Asteroid impact avoidance encompasses the methods by which near-Earth objects (NEO) on a potential collision course with Earth could be diverted, preventing destructive impact events. An impact by a sufficiently large asteroid or other NEOs w ...

. Abandoned after lack of interest from the ESA *

Lunar Lander A lunar lander or Moon lander is a Lander (spacecraft), spacecraft designed to Moon landing, land on the surface of the Moon. As of 2024, the Apollo Lunar Module is the only lunar lander to have ever been used in human spaceflight, completing s ...

, – proposed launch in 2018 – Demonstration mission aimed at testing new technologies in lunar landing, including autonomous redirects. Project put on hold due to lack of financial support, as of 2012. Superseded by

Argonaut The Argonauts ( ; ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, ''Argo'', named after ...

HERACLES Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...

, – planned robotic lunar landing system by ESA and JAXA. Superseded by

Astronomy and astrophysics

* COS-B, launched August 1975, – gamma-ray space observatory mission organized by the

European Space Research Organisation The European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) was an international organisation founded by 10 European nations with the intention of jointly pursuing scientific research in space. It was founded in 1964. As an organisation ESRO was based on a ...

, a precursor to the ESA. The first mission launched by ESA * International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), launched January 1978, – joint NASA-ESA- SERC

ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

space observatory mission for general astronomy *

EXOSAT The European X-ray Observatory Satellite (EXOSAT), originally named HELOS, was an X-ray telescope operational from May 1983 until April 1986 and in that time made 1780 observations in the X-ray band of most classes of astronomical object includi ...

, launched May 1983, – ESA's first X-ray space observatory mission * ''

'', launched August 1989, – first

astrometry Astrometry is a branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other Astronomical object, celestial bodies. It provides the kinematics and physical origin of the Solar System and this galaxy, th ...

mission ever launched, focused on cataloguing over 118,200 stars in the eponymous Hipparcos Catalogue, published in 1997 * Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), launched November 1995, –

infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...

space observatory mission for general astronomy * '' Hubble Space Telescope'' (HST), launched April 1990, – joint NASA-ESA- STScl space observatory mission, carried out by a

near ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of th ...

, visible, and

near infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those o ...

telescope *

CoRoT CoRoT (French: ; English: Convection, Rotation and planetary Transits) was a space telescope mission which operated from 2006 to 2013. The mission's two objectives were to search for extrasolar planets with short orbital periods, particularly t ...

, launched December 2006, –

-led

mission to search for rocky

and perform

asteroseismology Asteroseismology is the study of oscillations in stars. Stars have many Resonance, resonant modes and frequencies, and the path of sound waves passing through a star depends on the local speed of sound, which in turn depends on local temperature a ...

studies * ''Sunstorm'', launched in 2021, – solar X-ray spectrometer cubesat * '' James Webb Space Telescope'' (JWST), launched in December 2021, – joint NASA-ESA- CSA infrared space observatory mission for general astronomy and

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...

PROBA-3 PROBA-3 is a dual-probe technological demonstration mission by the European Space Agency devoted to high-precision formation flying to achieve scientific coronagraphy. It is part of the series of PROBA satellites that are being used to validate ne ...

, launched December 2024, – microsatellite solar observation and

formation flying Formation flying is the flight of multiple objects in coordination. Formation flying occurs in nature among flying and gliding animals, and is also conducted in human aviation, often in military aviation and air shows. A multitude of studies have ...

demonstration mission, serving as the fourth flight in the ''Proba'' series * NEOMIR, launch planned for around 2030, – asteroid-detecting space telescope in the Sun-Earth L1 point * Astrophysical Lunar Observatory, launch planned for around 2035, – radio telescopes on the far side of the Moon, delivered by ''

.'' *

LOFT A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large ...

, – X-ray space observatory mission focused on the study of high-mass objects such as

black hole A black hole is a massive, compact astronomical object so dense that its gravity prevents anything from escaping, even light. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will form a black hole. Th ...

s and

neutron star A neutron star is the gravitationally collapsed Stellar core, core of a massive supergiant star. It results from the supernova explosion of a stellar evolution#Massive star, massive star—combined with gravitational collapse—that compresses ...

s. Finalist for the M3 slot in the Cosmic Vision programme, but lost to ''

'' * STE-QUEST, –

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the ...

demonstration mission focused on testing the

equivalence principle The equivalence principle is the hypothesis that the observed equivalence of gravitational and inertial mass is a consequence of nature. The weak form, known for centuries, relates to masses of any composition in free fall taking the same t ...

* '' Darwin'', – proposed

exoplanetary science This page describes exoplanet orbital and physical parameters. Orbital parameters Most known extrasolar planet candidates have been discovered using indirect methods and therefore only some of their physical and orbital parameters can be determi ...

mission focused on directly detecting Earth-like

. Proposed as a cornerstone for the Horizon 2000+ programme, but abandoned in 2007 *

EChO In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...

, – space observatory mission aimed at

, employing high resolution, multi-wavelength spectroscopic observations. Finalist for the M3 slot in the Cosmic Vision programme, but lost to ''

''. Succeeded by

as the M4 mission * ''

Eddington Eddington or Edington may refer to: People *Eddington Varmah, Liberian politician *Eddington (surname), people with the surname Places Australia * Eddington, Victoria United Kingdom * Eddington, Berkshire * Eddington, Cambridge * Eddi ...

'', – concept for an

mission designed to detect exoplanets. Cancelled in 2003

Meteorology and Earth observation

* ''Meteosat'' (first generation), launched November 1977 to September 1997, – joint

EUMETSAT The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is an intergovernmental organisation created through an international convention agreed by a current total of 30 European Member States. EUMETSAT's primary ...

-ESA

meteorology Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agricultur ...

mission consisting seven

geostationary A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...

satellites launched over a period of twenty years. Meteosat-7 re-orbiting commenced on 3-April-2017 * GEOS-1 and GEOS-2, launched April 1977 and July 1978, – magnetospheric reconnaissance mission, consisting experimental payloads by various European national space administrations * ERS-1 and ERS-2, launched July 1991 and April 1995, – ESA's first Earth observation missions *

PROBA-1 Proba may refer to: ; people * Faltonia Betitia Proba, fourth-century Latin poet * Anicia Faltonia Proba, her niece and the recipient of letters from Saint Augustine and Saint John Chrysostom ; places * Próba, Łódź Voivodeship, village in the ...

, launched October 2001, –

microsatellite A microsatellite is a tract of repetitive DNA in which certain Sequence motif, DNA motifs (ranging in length from one to six or more base pairs) are repeated, typically 5–50 times. Microsatellites occur at thousands of locations within an organ ...

earth observation and Low Earth Orbit technology demonstration mission for various new instruments * ''

'', launched March 2002, – Earth observation mission focused on

environmental studies Environmental studies (EVS or EVST) is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human behavior, human interaction with the Natural environment, environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sci ...

, using the largest civilian Earth observation satellite ever launched * ''Double Star'', launched December 2003 and July 2004, – joint

-ESA

mission to study the planet's

, complementing the Horizon 2000

mission * ''

'' (second generation), launched January 2004 to July 2015, – joint EUMETSAT-ESA meteorology mission to launch the second generation of ''Meteosat'' satellites, of which four were launched over a period of eleven years *

CryoSat-1 CryoSat-1, also known as just CryoSat, was a European Space Agency satellite which was lost in a launch failure in 2005. The satellite was launched as part of the European Space Agency's CryoSat mission, which aims to monitor ice in the high lat ...

, launched October 2005, – environmental science and

mission, focused on studying Earth's polar ice caps. Failed on launch, and relaunched as ''

'' in the

MetOp MetOp (Meteorological Operational satellite) is a series of three polar-orbiting meteorological satellites developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operated by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites ...

(first generation), launched October 2006 to 2018, – joint EUMETSAT-ESA operational meteorology mission consisting three satellites launched over a period of twelve years *

PROBA-2 PROBA-2 is the second satellite in the European Space Agency's series of PROBA low-cost satellites that are being used to validate new spacecraft technologies while also carrying scientific instruments. PROBA-2 is a small satellite (130 kg) ...

, launched November 2009, – microsatellite earth observation and Low Earth Orbit technology demonstration mission, serving as the second flight in the ''Proba'' series *

PROBA-V PROBA-V, or PROBA-Vegetation (the ''V'' standing for ''vegetation'' and not the Roman numeral for ''5''), is a satellite in the European Space Agency's PROBA series. It was launched in 2013 with a predicted usable lifetime between 2.5 and 5 yea ...

, launched May 2013, – microsatellite earth observation mission focused on mapping land cover and vegetation growth across Earth in bi-daily cycles; the 3rd mission in the ''Proba'' series * ''Sentinel'', launched April 2014 onward, – suite of Earth observation missions serving as the ESA's contribution to the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

Copernicus Programme Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union Space Programme, managed by the European Commission and implemented in partnership with the Member state of the European Union, EU member states, the European Space Agency (ES ...

* SIMBA, launched in 2020, –

mission measuring total solar irradiance to determine Earth’s radiation budget. * RadCube, launched in 2021, –

mission monitoring

impacts to

Earth's magnetosphere In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a celestial body with an active interior Dynamo ...

during a peak in solar activity cycle. * ''Meteosat'' (third generation), launched December 2022 onward, – joint EUMETSAT-ESA meteorology mission to launch the third generation of ''

'' satellites *

PRETTY Pretty may refer to: *Beauty, the quality of being pleasing, especially to look at **Physical attractiveness, of a person's physical features Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Pretty'' (advertisement), a 2006 television advertisement for Nike ...

, launched in October 2023, –

using ''

'' and

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

signals to measure

sea ice Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less density, dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oceans. Much of the world' ...

* '' Arctic weather satellite'', launched in August 2024, – joint ESA-EUMETSAT small meteorological satellite providing detailed temperature and humidity profiles. A precursor to the proposed EPS-''Sterna'' constellation *

MetOp-SG MetOp-SG (Meteorological Operational Satellite - Second Generation) is a series of six meteorological satellites developed by European Space Agency and EUMETSAT to be launched from 2025 to 2039. Development In May 2014 during ILA Berlin Air ...

, launching 2025 onward, – joint EUMETSAT-ESA operational meteorology mission, launching the second generation of

satellites, of which a constellation of six will be launched * ''Scout'' missions, launching 2025 onward, – series of small Earth observation satellites complementing the Earth Explorer missions ** HydroGNSS, launching in 2025, – two identical satellites sensing

and

signals reflected by Earth’s surface for improve the knowledge of Earth’s

hydrological cycle The water cycle (or hydrologic cycle or hydrological cycle) is a biogeochemical cycle that involves the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth across different reservoirs. The mass of water on Earth remains fai ...

** NanoMagSat, – measuring the ionospheric environment, monitoring Earth’s magnetic field ** ''Tango'', – monitoring three greenhouse gases: methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide being emitted from large industrial sites ** ''CubeMAP, '' – quantifying processes in the upper-atmosphere * ALTIUS, launching in 2026, – monitoring the distribution and evolution of

stratospheric ozone The ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. It contains a high concentration of ozone (O3) in relation to other parts of the atmosphere, although still small in rela ...

in the Earth's atmosphere * CAMILA, launching 2027 onward, – joint POLSA-ESA Earth observation satellite constellation * ''Genesis'', launching in 2028, – geodetic satellite that will update the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) of Earth with an accuracy of 1 mm * EPS-''Sterna'', launching 2029 onward, – joint ESA-EUMETSAT constellation of 18 micro-satellites, based on the '' Arctic Weather Satellite'' * TRUTHS, launching in 2030, – satellite for continuous measurements of incoming and reflected radiation to evaluate Earth’s energy-in to energy-out ratio, providing reference for

measurements * '' Vigil'', launching in 2031, – ESA

mission * European Resilience from Space (ERS), – intelligence and surveillance programme

Communication and navigation

* OTS-1 and OTS-2, launched September 1977 and May 1978, – demonstration mission for a

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a Transponder (satellite communications), transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a Rad ...

system. OTS-1 was lost in a launch * MARECS family, launched December 1981 to November 1984, – joint

-ESA program which launched a satellite duo to create a global maritime communications network. MARECS B on launch * ECS family, launched June 1983 to July 1988, – joint

-ESA mission to launch the first generation of EUTELSAT telecommunication satellites * ''Olympus'', launched July 1989, – telecommunications mission pioneering high-power transmitters, multi-spot beam K_a band technology and on-board switching *

GIOVE-A ; ), or Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element, is the name for two satellites built for the European Space Agency (ESA) to test technology in orbit for the Galileo positioning system. The name was chosen as a tribute to Galileo Galilei, who discov ...

, launched December 2005, – demonstration mission testing technologies for the ''

satellite navigation A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geopositioning. A satellite navigation system with global coverage is termed global navigation satellite system (GNSS). , four global systems are ope ...

system *

GIOVE-B ; ), or Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element, is the name for two satellites built for the European Space Agency (ESA) to test technology in orbit for the Galileo positioning system. The name was chosen as a tribute to Galileo Galilei, who discov ...

, launched April 2008, – second demonstration mission testing technologies for the ''Galileo'' satellite navigation system. Retired in 2012 * ''

'', launched October 2011 onward, – joint ESA-

GSA GSA may refer to: Commerce * Citroën GSA, a French automobile * GameSpy Arcade, a utility for use with network computer games * General sales agent, an airline sales representative * Global mobile Suppliers Association, a not-for-profit indust ...

geodesy Geodesy or geodetics is the science of measuring and representing the Figure of the Earth, geometry, Gravity of Earth, gravity, and Earth's rotation, spatial orientation of the Earth in Relative change, temporally varying Three-dimensional spac ...

project to create an indigenous

global navigation satellite system A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geopositioning. A satellite navigation system with global coverage is termed global navigation satellite system (GNSS). , four global systems are op ...

independent of the Russian

GLONASS GLONASS (, ; ) is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radionavigation-satellite service. It provides an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) and is the second navigational system in operation with global cove ...

, Chinese

BeiDou The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS; ) is a satellite-based radio navigation system owned and operated by the China National Space Administration. It provides geolocation and time information to a BDS receiver anywhere on or near the ...

and American

systems * '' Alphasat'', launched July 2013, – joint

-ESA mission to launch an advanced

communication satellite to serve Africa, Asia and Europe; the largest ever built by Europe * European Data Relay System (EDRS), launched January 2016 to 2017, –

geosynchronous A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbital ...

optical communication Optical communication, also known as optical telecommunication, is communication at a distance using light to carry information. It can be performed visually or by using electronic devices. The earliest basic forms of optical communication date ...

network consisting a constellation of two satellites, EDRS-A and EDRS-C * ''JoeySat'', launched in 2023, – joint ESA-

Eutelsat OneWeb OneWeb Communications Ltd., doing business as Eutelsat OneWeb, is a subsidiary of the French group Eutelsat providing Broadband#Computer networks, broadband Satellite Internet access, satellite Internet services in Low Earth orbit , low Earth o ...

5G connectivity technology demonstration satellite * LEO-PNT, launching 2025 to 2027, – a 10-satellite

low earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an geocentric orbit, orbit around Earth with a orbital period, period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an orbital eccentricity, eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial object ...

technology demonstration constellation for improving navigation services *

IRIS² IRIS² (''Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite'') is a planned multi-orbit satellite internet constellation to be deployed by the European Union by 2027. Initial government services are expected to start in ...

, launching 2027 onward, – multi-orbit satellite internet constellation * '' Electra'', launch date unknown, – joint ESA-

SES SES, S.E.S., Ses and similar variants can refere to: Business and economics * Socioeconomic status * Scottish Economic Society, a learned society in Scotland * SES, callsign of the TV station SES/RTS (Mount Gambier, South Australia) * SES, a ...

telecommunications mission, utilizing a spacecraft with electrical-powered propulsion * HydRON, launch date unknown, – an advanced laser-based satellite communication system

Other missions

* EURECA, launched August 1992, – microgravity testbed mission carrying a suite of fifteen instruments from various European national space administrations * SSETI Express, launched October 2005, – student demonstration mission, sponsored by the ESA Education Office, which launched three

CubeSat A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit,, url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/5f24997b6deea10cc52bb016/1596234122437/CDS+REV14+2020-07-3 ...

s to take pictures of the Earth and serve as a radio

transponder In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...

* YES2, launched September 2007, – student demonstration mission, sponsored by the ESA Education Office, which deployed a 31.7 km-long

space tether Space tethers are long cables which can be used for propulsion, momentum exchange, stabilization and attitude control, or maintaining the relative positions of the components of a large dispersed satellite/spacecraft sensor system. Depending on ...

ed constellation of satellites. Partial launch * GOMX-4B, launched in 2018, – cubesat demonstrating formation flying * ESAIL, launched in 2020, – microsatellite for tracking ships worldwide * YPSat, ESA’s Young Professionals Satellite, launched July 2024, – satellite designed and produced entirely by young professionals at ESA, launched aboard the inaugural flight of

to record the fairing separation and provide in-orbit imagery of the Earth * YPSat-2, launch date unknown, – second project by ESA Young Professionals, an experiment flying aboard ''

Space Rider The Space Rider (Space Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for Europe Return) is a planned uncrewed orbital lifting body spaceplane aiming to provide the European Space Agency (ESA) with affordable and routine access to space.microgravity Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight, i.e., zero apparent weight. It is also termed zero g-force, or zero-g (named after the g-force) or, incorrectly, zero gravity. Weight is a measurement of the fo ...

affects blood flow in space * ''

ClearSpace-1 The ClearSpace-1 (ClearSpace One) mission is an ESA Space debris removal mission led by ClearSpace SA, a Swiss startup company. The mission's objective is to remove the PROBA-1 satellite from orbit. The mission aims to demonstrate technologies for ...

'', launching in 2026, –

space debris Space debris (also known as space junk, space pollution, space waste, space trash, space garbage, or cosmic debris) are defunct human-made objects in spaceprincipally in Earth orbitwhich no longer serve a useful function. These include dere ...

removal demonstration mission with the objective of deorbiting

* CApTure Payload Bay (CAT), — joint ESA- AEE mission to test a standardised docking interface for satellite removal * ''

e.Deorbit e.Deorbit was a planned European Space Agency active space debris removal mission developed as a part of their Clean Space initiative. The launch was planned for 2025 on board a Vega launch vehicle. Funding of the mission was stopped in 2018 i ...

'', – space debris removal demonstration mission, superseded by ''

References

External links

European Space Agency Cosmos portal
– Official website of the ESA Science Directorate
ESA Science and Technology
– Scientific community portal for ESA missions
ESA's Cosmic Vision
– The current ESA science mission program
ESA Historical Timeline

ESA: Our Missions
{{European Space Agency European Space Agency, programs and missions European Space Agency programmes, * European Space Agency space probes, * European Space Agency satellites, * Lists of space missions, European Space Agency European integration