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, of whom 20 are Member States of the EU.

ESA has established formal cooperation with seven other 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.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep 
Europe at the forefront of global space activities.

Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, 
telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar
System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int