Editing European Space Agency (section)

==History==
{{more citations needed|section|date=May 2019}}

===Foundation===
{{See also|European Space Research Organisation|European Launcher Development Organisation}}
[[File:ESA-ESTEC5.jpg|thumb|right|[[European Space Research and Technology Centre|ESTEC]] buildings in [[Noordwijk]], Netherlands. ESTEC was the main technical centre of ESRO and remains so for the successor organisation (ESA).]]

After [[World War II]], many European scientists left [[Western Europe]] in order to work with the United States. Although the 1950s boom made it possible for Western European countries to invest in research and specifically in space-related activities, Western European scientists realised solely national projects would not be able to compete with the two main superpowers. In 1958, only months after the [[Sputnik crisis|Sputnik shock]], [[Edoardo Amaldi]] (Italy) and [[Pierre Victor Auger|Pierre Auger]] (France), two prominent members of the Western European scientific community, met to discuss the foundation of a common Western European space agency. The meeting was attended by scientific representatives from eight countries.

The Western European nations decided to have two agencies: one concerned with developing a launch system, [[European Launcher Development Organisation|ELDO]] (European Launcher Development Organisation), and the other the precursor of the European Space Agency, [[ESRO]] (European Space Research Organisation). The latter was established on 20 March 1964 by an agreement signed on 14 June 1962. From 1968 to 1972, ESRO launched seven research satellites, but ELDO was not able to deliver a launch vehicle. Both agencies struggled with the underfunding and diverging interests of their participants.

The ESA in its current form was founded with the ESA Convention in 1975, when ESRO was merged with ELDO. The ESA had ten founding member states: [[Belgium]], [[Denmark]], [[France]], [[West Germany]], [[Italy]], [[Netherlands|the Netherlands]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], [[Switzerland]], and the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.esa.int/For_Media/Press_Releases/ESA_turns_30!_A_successful_track_record_for_Europe_in_space |title=ESA turns 30! A successful track record for Europe in space |publisher=European Space Agency |date=31 May 2005 |access-date=6 September 2014 |archive-date=20 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920085556/http://www.esa.int/For_Media/Press_Releases/ESA_turns_30!_A_successful_track_record_for_Europe_in_space |url-status=live }}</ref> These signed the ESA Convention in 1975 and deposited the instruments of ratification by 1980, when the convention came into force. During this interval the agency functioned in a de facto fashion. ESA launched its first major scientific mission in 1975, [[Cos-B]], a space probe monitoring [[Gamma-ray astronomy|gamma-ray emissions]] in the universe, which was first worked on by ESRO.

===Later activities===
[[File:Ariane 1 Le Bourget FRA 001.jpg|thumb|upright|Mock-up of the {{Nowrap |[[Ariane 1]]}}]]

ESA collaborated with [[NASA]] on the [[International Ultraviolet Explorer]] (IUE), the world's first high-orbit telescope, which was launched in 1978 and operated successfully for 18 years. A number of successful Earth-orbit projects followed, and in 1986 ESA began [[Giotto mission|Giotto]], its first deep-space mission, to study the comets [[Comet Halley|Halley]] and [[26P/Grigg–Skjellerup|Grigg–Skjellerup]]. [[Hipparcos]], a star-mapping mission, was launched in 1989 and in the 1990s [[Solar and Heliospheric Observatory|SOHO]], ''[[Ulysses probe|Ulysses]]'' and the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] were all jointly carried out with NASA. Later scientific missions in cooperation with NASA include the ''[[Cassini–Huygens]]'' space probe, to which the ESA contributed by building the [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] landing module ''[[Huygens (spacecraft)|Huygens]]''.

As the successor of [[European Launcher Development Organisation|ELDO]], the ESA has also constructed rockets for scientific and commercial payloads. [[Ariane 1]], launched in 1979, carried mostly commercial payloads into orbit from 1984 onward. The next two versions of the Ariane rocket were intermediate stages in the development of a more advanced launch system, the [[Ariane 4]], which operated between 1988 and 2003 and established the ESA as the world leader<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Ariane_42 |title=Ariane 4 / Launchers / Our Activities / ESA |publisher=European Space Agency |date=14 May 2004 |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=25 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225130619/http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Ariane_42 |url-status=live }}</ref> in commercial space launches in the 1990s. Although the succeeding [[Ariane 5]] experienced a failure on its first flight, it has since firmly established itself within the heavily competitive commercial space launch market with 112 successful launches until 2023. The successor launch vehicle, [[Ariane 6]], had its maiden flight on 9 July 2024. It was followed by flight VA263, the first commercial launch, on 6 March 2025 at 13:24 local time (16:24 BST, 17:24 CET), delivering the [[Composante Spatiale Optique]] CSO-3 satellite. 

The beginning of the new millennium saw the ESA become, along with agencies like NASA, [[JAXA]], [[ISRO]], the [[Canadian Space Agency|CSA]] and [[Roscosmos]], one of the major participants in scientific [[Space science|space research]]. Although ESA had relied on co-operation with NASA in previous decades, especially the 1990s, changed circumstances (such as tough legal restrictions on information sharing by the [[Military of the United States|United States military]]) led to decisions to rely more on itself and on co-operation with Russia. A 2011 press issue thus stated:<ref name="international-coop">{{cite web |title=Launchers Home: International cooperation |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/International_cooperation |publisher=ESA |access-date=6 September 2014 |archive-date=25 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225125227/http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/International_cooperation |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{blockquote|Russia was ESA's first partner in its efforts to ensure long-term access to space. There is a framework agreement between ESA and the government of the Russian Federation on cooperation and partnership in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and cooperation is already underway in two different areas of launcher activity that will bring benefits to both partners.}}

Notable ESA programmes include [[SMART-1]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-28 |title=Here is the final resting place of SMART-1 on the Moon |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/here-is-the-final-resting-place-of-smart-1-on-the-moon |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=SYFY Official Site |language=en-US}}</ref> a probe testing cutting-edge space propulsion technology, the ''[[Mars Express]]'' and ''[[Venus Express]]'' missions,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Elizabeth |last=Howell |date=2015-01-16 |title=Venus Express: ESA's 1st Mission to Venus |url=https://www.space.com/18363-venus-express.html |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Space.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=Mars Express (ESA) {{!}} Missions |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/express |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |date=5 December 2017 |language=en}}</ref> as well as the development of the Ariane 5 rocket and its role in the [[International Space Station|ISS]] partnership. The ESA maintains its scientific and research projects mainly for astronomy-space missions such as [[Corot (space mission)|Corot]], launched on 27 December 2006,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sanderson |first=Katharine |date=2006-12-22 |title=Planet hunt ready for lift-off |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/news061218-16 |journal=Nature |language=en |doi=10.1038/news061218-16 |issn=1476-4687}}</ref> a milestone in the search for [[exoplanet]]s.

On 21 January 2019, [[ArianeGroup]] and [[Arianespace]] announced a one-year contract with the ESA to study and prepare for a mission to mine the Moon for lunar [[regolith]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2019/01/23/mining-on-the-moon-could-be-a-reality-as-early-as-2025/ |title=Mining on the moon could be a reality as early as 2025 |last=Wehner |first=Mike |date=23 January 2019 |website=[[New York Post]] |access-date=23 January 2019 |archive-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123180716/https://nypost.com/2019/01/23/mining-on-the-moon-could-be-a-reality-as-early-as-2025/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2021 the ESA ministerial council agreed to the "[[Matosinhos]] manifesto" which set three priority areas (referred to as ''accelerators'') "space for a green future, a rapid and resilient crisis response, and the protection of space assets", and two further high visibility projects (referred to as ''inspirators'') an icy moon sample return mission; and human space exploration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 November 2021 |title=Space can help solve Earth's most pressing challenges |url=https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/11/26/space-can-help-to-solve-the-biggest-challenges-facing-our-planet-here-s-how |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=euronews |language=en |archive-date=15 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615091745/https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/11/26/space-can-help-to-solve-the-biggest-challenges-facing-our-planet-here-s-how |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 November 2021 |title=Council Resolution on "Accelerating the Use of Space in Europe" |url=https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/corporate/ESA_C_2021_176_EN.pdf |website=ESA |access-date=15 June 2022 |archive-date=9 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409155833/https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/corporate/ESA_C_2021_176_EN.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In the same year the recruitment process began for the [[2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Astronaut selection 2021–22 FAQs |url=https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/ESA_Astronaut_Selection/Astronaut_selection_2021-22_FAQs |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=www.esa.int |language=en |archive-date=3 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603140705/https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/ESA_Astronaut_Selection/Astronaut_selection_2021-22_FAQs |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first half of 2023 saw the launches of the [[Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer]] and the [[Euclid (spacecraft)|Euclid spacecraft]], the latter developed jointly with the Euclid Consortium. After 10 years of planning and building, it is designed to better understand [[dark energy]] and [[dark matter]] by accurately measuring the [[accelerating expansion of the universe]].<ref name="NYT-20230701">{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Katrina |title=The Dark Universe Is Waiting. What Will the Euclid Telescope Reveal? – The European Space Agency mission, which launched on Saturday, will capture billions of galaxies to create a cosmic map spanning space and time. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/science/spacex-euclid-launch.html |date=1 July 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20230701145541/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/science/spacex-euclid-launch.html |archivedate=1 July 2023 |accessdate=2 July 2023 }}</ref>

The most notable ESA mission of 2024 was [[Hera (space mission)]], which launched on 7 October that year to perform a post-impact survey of the asteroid [[Dimorphos]] which was deflected by NASA's [[Double Asteroid Redirection Test]] mission.

In early 2025, the European Space Agency released its Strategy 2040, a long-term roadmap adopted by the ESA council to define the agency's priorities. The strategy is centered on 5 key goals:<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESA Strategy 2040 |url=https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Strategy_2040 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=www.esa.int |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2025-03-21 |title=ESA releases strategy document that emphasizes autonomy |url=https://spacenews.com/esa-releases-strategy-document-that-emphasizes-autonomy/?utm_source=B+AWARE+#376+(Mass+Mailing+created+on+2025-03-24)&utm_medium=Email |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref>

* Protecting the planet and climate
* Advancing space exploration
* Strengthening European autonomy and resilience
* Boosting economic growth and competitiveness
* Inspiring future generations

In March 2025, ESA officially launched its European Launcher Challenge (ELC) by publishing the Invitation to Tender (ITT). Initially introduced in November 2023, the program aims to foster new European sovereign launch capabilities, beginning with small launch vehicles and utlimately paving the way for an Ariane 6 successor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2025-03-24 |title=ESA issues call for proposals for European Launcher Challenge |url=https://spacenews.com/esa-issues-call-for-proposals-for-european-launcher-challenge/?utm_source=B+AWARE+#377+(Mass+Mailing+created+on+2025-03-25)&utm_medium=Email |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Parsonson |first=Andrew |date=2025-03-25 |title=ESA Issues Call for European Launcher Challenge Proposals |url=https://europeanspaceflight.com/esa-issues-call-for-european-launcher-challenge-proposals/ |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=European Spaceflight |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Facilities===
The agency's facilities date back to ESRO and are deliberately distributed among various countries and areas. The most important are the following centres:

*ESA headquarters in Paris, France;
*ESA science missions are based at [[European Space Research and Technology Centre|ESTEC]] in [[Noordwijk]], Netherlands;
*Earth Observation missions at the [[ESA Centre for Earth Observation]] in [[Frascati]], Italy;
*ESA Mission Control ([[European Space Operations Centre|ESOC]]) is in [[Darmstadt]], Germany;
*The [[European Astronaut Centre]] (EAC) that trains astronauts for future missions is situated in [[Cologne]], Germany;
*The [[European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications]] (ECSAT), a research institute created in 2009, is located in [[Harwell Science and Innovation Campus|Harwell]], England, United Kingdom;
*The [[European Space Astronomy Centre]] (ESAC) is located in [[Villanueva de la Cañada]], [[Comunidad de Madrid|Madrid]], Spain.
*The [[European Space Security and Education Centre]] (ESEC), located in Redu, Belgium; 
*The [[ESTRACK]] tracking and deep space communication network.
*Many other facilities are operated by national space agencies in close collaboration with ESA.
**[[Esrange]] near [[Kiruna]] in Sweden;
**[[Guiana Space Centre]] in Kourou, France;
**[[Toulouse Space Centre]], France;
**[[Institute of Space Propulsion]] in [[Lampoldshausen]], Germany;
**[[Columbus Control Centre]] in [[Oberpfaffenhofen]], Germany.