European Space Agency

Many lands work together for space.

They make a group called ESA. This group has 23 members. They have a home in Paris.

They build big rockets to fly high. They also send tools to far places. These tools visit the Moon and Mars. They even visit the Sun.

They use tools to look at stars. They also watch the Earth from above. Some tools help us find our way. This is done with satellites.

People from these lands go to space too. They live on a big station. They do science while they fly. It is very exciting to learn.

The European Space Agency, or ESA, is a big group.

It has 23 member countries. Their main office is in Paris.

ESA was started in 1975. It grew from two older groups. One group made rockets. The other group did space research.

ESA does many jobs in space. They send tools to the Moon and Mars. They also visit the Sun and Jupiter.

They use telescopes to look at stars. They also use satellites to watch Earth. Some satellites help with navigation. This helps people find their way.

People also go to space with ESA. They work on the International Space Station.

They use the Columbus module. This is a science lab in space.

ESA also helps build parts for the Orion spacecraft. This will help humans go back to the Moon.

The European Space Agency, or ESA, is a large group of 23 countries.

It works together to explore the stars and our own planet.

The agency has its main office in Paris, France. As of 2025, about 3,000 people work for ESA around the world.

In 2026, the agency had an annual budget of around €8.3 billion. This money helps them do many big jobs in space.

ESA does many different things to help us understand space. They launch uncrewed missions to visit the Moon and Mars.

They also send probes to Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and the Sun.

Some missions even visit comets and asteroids. They use special telescopes to look deep into the universe.

They also use satellites to watch Earth and help with navigation.

Long ago, scientists in Europe realized they needed to work together.

In 1958, Edoardo Amaldi from Italy and Pierre Auger from France met. They wanted to start a space agency for Western Europe.

They first created two separate groups for research and rockets. These groups were called ESRO and ELDO.

In 1975, these two groups merged to form the ESA we know today.

Ten countries were the first members of this new agency.

ESA has sent many famous machines into space over the years.

The Rosetta probe was the first to orbit a comet.

Another probe, called Huygens, made the farthest landing from Earth on Titan.

ESA also builds powerful rockets like the Ariane family.

The Ariane 5 rocket had 112 successful launches by 2023.

They also use the Vega rocket for smaller loads.

People also travel to space through the ESA human spaceflight programme.

Ulf Merbold was the first ESA astronaut to fly in 1983.

Today, astronauts work on the International Space Station (ISS).

They use the Columbus module, which is a science lab in space.

ESA also helps NASA with the Artemis programme.

They make the European Service Module for the Orion spacecraft. This will help humans travel to the Moon again.

The European Space Agency, known as ESA, is a major international organization.

It consists of 23 member states working together for space exploration. The agency is headquartered in Paris, France. As of 2025, it employs approximately 3,000 people globally.

The agency manages a large budget to fund complex science. For the year 2026, the annual budget was approximately €8.3 billion.

ESA sets unified space policies for its members. It also integrates different national satellite programs into one large European program.

ESA manages many different types of space activities. They launch uncrewed missions to explore the solar system. These missions travel to the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury.

They also study the Sun, comets, and asteroids.

The agency operates space telescopes to look at distant stars.

They also use Earth observation satellites to monitor our planet. Other tasks include telecommunication, navigation, and asteroid impact avoidance. ESA even maintains the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. This site serves as Europe's primary spaceport.

Designing launch vehicles is a core part of ESA's work. The agency helps design and operate rockets to carry payloads into orbit.

One major family is the Ariane rocket series. Ariane 1 launched in 1979 and carried commercial payloads starting in 1984.

The Ariane 4 operated from 1988 to 2003. This rocket helped ESA become a leader in commercial launches. The Ariane 5 followed and achieved 112 successful launches by 2023. ESA also develops the Vega, which is a small-lift launch vehicle.

The Vega rocket was first flown in 2012 and was replaced by Vega-C in 2024.

Human spaceflight is another vital pillar of the agency. ESA participates in the International Space Station (ISS) program.

They provide the Columbus module, which is a laboratory for science.

ESA astronauts also use the Cupola, an observation module on the ISS.

The agency collaborates with NASA on the Artemis programme.

Specifically, ESA manufactures the European Service Module (ESM) for the Orion spacecraft. This module provides essential support for crewed lunar missions. ESA also works on the Terrae Novae programme to plan future human travel. This includes goals for the Moon and Mars.

The history of ESA began with a need for cooperation. After World War II, many European scientists moved to the United States. In 1958, Edoardo Amaldi and Pierre Auger met to discuss a common agency.

They initially planned two separate organizations. One was the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) for rockets.

The other was the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) for science. ESRO was established on March 20, 1964. In 1975, these two groups merged to create the modern ESA. Ten countries were the founding members of this new agency.

ESA has achieved many historic milestones in deep space. In 1997, the Huygens probe was part of the Cassini mission.

It successfully landed on Titan, the farthest landing from Earth ever made. In 2014, the Rosetta mission reached a comet named 67P.

Rosetta was the first spacecraft to orbit a comet. Its lander, Philae, performed the first landing on a comet. The Gaia telescope created a massive 3D catalogue of astronomical objects.

These missions show how ESA pushes the limits of science.

Today, ESA's work connects to many different fields. Their satellite constellations like Galileo provide navigation for people on Earth.

The Copernicus programme uses Sentinel satellites for Earth observation.

These satellites monitor things like oceanography and air pollution. Recent changes have also shifted how ESA works with other nations. After 2022, cooperation with the Russian agency, Roscosmos, was mostly severed. This has caused delays in programs like ExoMars. Despite these challenges, ESA continues to lead in space science and technology.