A very busy year 2022 lies ahead for ESA: Artemis I, the first mission for NASA’s Orion with its European Service Module (ESM), will be launched into orbit around the Moon, the ExoMars 2022 rover will start its journey to Mars, and Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will start her second mission to the International Space Station and serve as commander for first part of Expedition 68.

The list below gives media representatives an overview of the most important events on the agency’s agenda. Please note that the dates can be subject to change. ESA will inform about the precise dates closer to the actual events.

1^st Quarter 2022:

Annual press conference of ESA’s Director General Josef Aschbacher in ESA HQ Paris, France
Date: 18 January 2022 (virtual participation is also possible)

Launch of the Artemis I mission into orbit around the Moon
Date: February 2022

More information: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion/Artemis_1
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/Moon_media_kit

Space Summit in Toulouse, France
Date: February 2022

2^nd Quarter 2022:

Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti starts her second mission to the International Space Station and serves as commander on Expedition 68  
Date: April 2022

More information:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Commanding_role_for_ESA_astronaut_Samantha_Cristoforetti

https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/de/category/astronauts/samantha-cristoforetti/

German ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer returns from his Cosmic Kiss mission on the International Space Station
Date: April 2022

More information:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Cosmic_kiss

Living Planet Symposium, Bonn, Germany
Date: May 2022

More information:
https://lps22.esa.int/frontend/index.php

Gaia Data Release 3
Date: May/June 2022

More information:
https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/data-release-3

Inaugural flight of Vega-C from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana
Date: tbc

More information:
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Vega

3^rd Quarter 2022:

James Webb Space Telescope ‘Early Release Science’ Data Release
(first images and spectra)
Date: June/July 2022

More information:
https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/science/Webb-LaunchKit_EN.pdf

Launch of the ExoMars 2022 rover to Mars
Date: September 2022

More information:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars

Inaugural flight of Ariane 6 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana
Date: tbc

More information:
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Ariane

4^th Quarter 2022:

End of ESA’s astronaut selection process: ESA introduces the new class of ESA astronauts
Date: November 2022

More information:
www.esa.int/yourwaytospace

ESA Ministerial Council in Paris, France
Date: November 2022

Launch of the first Meteosat Third Generation satellite from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana
Date: tbc

More information:
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Meteorological_missions/meteosat_third_generation

Updates on launches and other events will also be published on the ESA Newsroom Calendar:
https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Calendar

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with five Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int