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WELcome to esa science
“We enable breakthrough science and technology, and empower our Member States to lead in space science”

Professor Carole Mundell, ESA Director of Science

WELcome to esa science
“We enable breakthrough science and technology, and empower our Member States to lead in space science”

Professor Carole Mundell, ESA Director of Science

THE BACKBONE OF THE AGENCY
ESA’s Science Programme has been delivering pioneering missions since 1975, producing transformative discoveries in astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, heliophysics and fundamental physics. Our iconic missions foster collaboration, drive excellence and innovation, and inspire future generations, ensuring Europe’s leadership in space science on the world stage.
ESA’s Science Programme has been delivering pioneering missions since 1975, producing transformative discoveries in astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, heliophysics and fundamental physics. Our iconic missions foster collaboration, drive excellence and innovation, and inspire future generations, ensuring Europe’s leadership in space science on the world stage.

Dr Roger Bonnet, ESA's Director of Scientific Programmes, seen holding a model of Rosetta. Credit: ESA

Honouring a leader in European space science
Roger-Maurice Bonnet 1937-2026

The European Space Agency honours the life and legacy of Roger-Maurice Bonnet, former Director of Science, whose leadership shaped Europe’s long-term vision for space science.

From establishing the Horizon 2000 programme to championing missions such as Giotto, Rosetta, Herschel and Gaia, his foresight and commitment placed Europe at the forefront of international scientific cooperation. His influence continues through the missions still exploring our Universe and the generations of scientists inspired by his work.

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The James Webb Space Telescope’s detailed view of planetary nebula NGC 1514. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC)
Solar Orbiter’s widest high-resolution view of our Sun. Credit: ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/EUI Team, E. Kraaikamp (ROB)
True-colour image of Mars seen by OSIRIS. Credit: ESA & MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA
Artist’s impression of the Milky Way based on data from ESA’s Gaia space telescope. Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, Stefan Payne-Wardenaar
ESA Philae Rosetta lander’s approach on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, in November 2014. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/Philae/ROLIS/DLR.
Mercury's sunlit north viewed by ESA/JAXA’s BepiColombo mission. Credit: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM.
Euclid’s view of the Perseus cluster of galaxies. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi.
Star-forming region, Messier 78, as seen by ESA’s Euclid space telescope. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi
ESA SCIENCE IN NUMBERS
We unlock the **secrets** of the Universe
53
Missions

Planned, active and legacy spacecraft

390+
years of space science

Accumulated years of our spacecraft in space

94 000+
publications

From data collected by ESA and partner-led missions

1000 TB+
archive data

Shared with scientists around the world

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our science missions
Our **fleet of satellites** investigate the Solar System and beyond

 Interact with the timeline of our iconic missions, covering planned, active and legacy spacecraft:

Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter is studying the Sun up close, collecting high-resolution images and data from our star and its heliosphere.
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Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter is studying the Sun up close, collecting high-resolution images and data from our star and its heliosphere.
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BepiColombo
BepiColombo is Europe’s first mission to Mercury, sent to study the mysterious planet’s interior, surface, atmosphere and magnetosphere to understand its origins.
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BepiColombo
BepiColombo is Europe’s first mission to Mercury, sent to study the mysterious planet’s interior, surface, atmosphere and magnetosphere to understand its origins.
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Smile
Smile will build a complete understanding of the Sun-Earth connection by measuring the solar wind and its dynamic interaction with the magnetosphere.
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Smile
Smile will build a complete understanding of the Sun-Earth connection by measuring the solar wind and its dynamic interaction with the magnetosphere.
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LISA
LISA will be the first space-based gravitational wave observatory, studying fluctuations in spacetime produced by powerful events such as merging black holes.
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LISA
LISA will be the first space-based gravitational wave observatory, studying fluctuations in spacetime produced by powerful events such as merging black holes.
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Euclid
Euclid is exploring the nature of dark energy and dark matter, revealing the history of the Universe’s accelerated expansion and the growth of cosmic structure.
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Euclid
Euclid is exploring the nature of dark energy and dark matter, revealing the history of the Universe’s accelerated expansion and the growth of cosmic structure.
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Juice
Juice is on its way to Jupiter to perform detailed investigations of the gas giant and assessing the habitability potential of its large icy satellites.
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Juice
Juice is on its way to Jupiter to perform detailed investigations of the gas giant and assessing the habitability potential of its large icy satellites.
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Ariel
Ariel will perform a chemical census of a large and diverse sample of exoplanets by analysing their atmospheres.
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Ariel
Ariel will perform a chemical census of a large and diverse sample of exoplanets by analysing their atmospheres.
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Comet Interceptor
Comet Interceptor will be the first mission to fly by a pristine comet as it enters the inner Solar System.
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Comet Interceptor
Comet Interceptor will be the first mission to fly by a pristine comet as it enters the inner Solar System.
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Envision
Envision will provide a complete view of Venus from its inner core to upper atmosphere to determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently.
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Envision
Envision will provide a complete view of Venus from its inner core to upper atmosphere to determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently.
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Plato
Plato will study terrestrial planets in orbits up to the habitable zone of Sun-like stars, and characterise these stars.
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Plato
Plato will study terrestrial planets in orbits up to the habitable zone of Sun-like stars, and characterise these stars.
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NewAthena
NewAthena will map hot gas structures to determine their physical properties, and search for supermassive black holes.
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NewAthena
NewAthena will map hot gas structures to determine their physical properties, and search for supermassive black holes.
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ARRAKIHS
Observing faint satellite galaxies in the halo of galaxies that look like our Milky Way.
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ARRAKIHS
Observing faint satellite galaxies in the halo of galaxies that look like our Milky Way.
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Gaia
Gaia is determining the position of nearly two billion objects, creating the largest and most precise 3D map of the Milky Way.
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Gaia
Gaia is determining the position of nearly two billion objects, creating the largest and most precise 3D map of the Milky Way.
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Venus Express
ESA's first spacecraft to study our nearest planetary neighbour, performing a global investigation of the Venusian atmosphere.
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Venus Express
ESA's first spacecraft to study our nearest planetary neighbour, performing a global investigation of the Venusian atmosphere.
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Webb
Observing the first galaxies, revealing the birth of stars and planets, and looking for planets with the potential for life.
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Webb
Observing the first galaxies, revealing the birth of stars and planets, and looking for planets with the potential for life.
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Cheops
Characterising exoplanets known to be orbiting around nearby bright stars.
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Cheops
Characterising exoplanets known to be orbiting around nearby bright stars.
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LISA Pathfinder
Testing, in orbit, the technology needed to detect gravitational waves in space for the very first time.
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LISA Pathfinder
Testing, in orbit, the technology needed to detect gravitational waves in space for the very first time.
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Proba-2
Providing new observations of the Sun, while testing new space technology.
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Proba-2
Providing new observations of the Sun, while testing new space technology.
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Herschel
Studying cool objects across the Universe and in our Solar System, in particular the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies and their interaction with the interstellar medium.
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Herschel
Studying cool objects across the Universe and in our Solar System, in particular the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies and their interaction with the interstellar medium.
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Planck
Mapping the relic radiation from the Big Bang with improved sensitivity and resolution, and testing theories on the birth and evolution of the Universe.
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Planck
Mapping the relic radiation from the Big Bang with improved sensitivity and resolution, and testing theories on the birth and evolution of the Universe.
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ISO
Probing the cool and hidden Universe, ISO made important studies of the dusty regions of the Universe.
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ISO
Probing the cool and hidden Universe, ISO made important studies of the dusty regions of the Universe.
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SOHO
Providing new views of the Sun’s atmosphere and interior, and investigating the cause of the solar wind.
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SOHO
Providing new views of the Sun’s atmosphere and interior, and investigating the cause of the solar wind.
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XMM-Newton
Solving the mysteries of the violent X-ray Universe, from enigmatic black holes to the formation of galaxies.
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XMM-Newton
Solving the mysteries of the violent X-ray Universe, from enigmatic black holes to the formation of galaxies.
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Integral
The first space observatory to observe celestial objects simultaneously in gamma rays, X-rays and visible light.
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Integral
The first space observatory to observe celestial objects simultaneously in gamma rays, X-rays and visible light.
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Rosetta
The first mission to rendezvous with a comet, the first to follow a comet on its orbit around the Sun, and the first to deploy a lander to a comet's surface.
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Rosetta
The first mission to rendezvous with a comet, the first to follow a comet on its orbit around the Sun, and the first to deploy a lander to a comet's surface.
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Cluster
A four-satellite mission investigating in unparalleled detail the interaction between the Sun and Earth’s magnetosphere.
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Cluster
A four-satellite mission investigating in unparalleled detail the interaction between the Sun and Earth’s magnetosphere.
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Mars Express
Europe’s first mission to Mars, providing an unprecedented global picture of the Red Planet’s atmosphere, surface and subsurface.
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Mars Express
Europe’s first mission to Mars, providing an unprecedented global picture of the Red Planet’s atmosphere, surface and subsurface.
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SMART-1
Testing solar-electric propulsion and other deep-space technologies, and making lunar scientific investigations.
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SMART-1
Testing solar-electric propulsion and other deep-space technologies, and making lunar scientific investigations.
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Hipparcos
Pinpointing the stars, their motion and distance, Hipparcos mapped the heavens more accurately than ever before.
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Hipparcos
Pinpointing the stars, their motion and distance, Hipparcos mapped the heavens more accurately than ever before.
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Cassini Huygens
Conducting in-depth studies of Saturn, its moons, rings and magnetic environment, and landing on the planet’s largest moon, Titan.
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Cassini Huygens
Conducting in-depth studies of Saturn, its moons, rings and magnetic environment, and landing on the planet’s largest moon, Titan.
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Ulysses
Charting the poles of the Sun to understand how the Sun works and its effect on the Solar System.
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Ulysses
Charting the poles of the Sun to understand how the Sun works and its effect on the Solar System.
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Hubble
Expanding the frontiers of the visible Universe, looking deep into space with cameras that can see in infrared, optical and ultraviolet wavelengths.
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Hubble
Expanding the frontiers of the visible Universe, looking deep into space with cameras that can see in infrared, optical and ultraviolet wavelengths.
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Giotto
ESA’s first deep-space mission, encountering comets Halley and Grigg–Skjellerup.
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Giotto
ESA’s first deep-space mission, encountering comets Halley and Grigg–Skjellerup.
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Exosat
Observing and detecting high-energy sources, Exosat was ESA’s first mission to study the Universe at X-ray wavelengths.
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Exosat
Observing and detecting high-energy sources, Exosat was ESA’s first mission to study the Universe at X-ray wavelengths.
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IUE
Making ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of cosmic objects, from comets to quasars.
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IUE
Making ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of cosmic objects, from comets to quasars.
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Cos-B
The first ESA mission to study gamma-ray sources, Cos-B operated for over six years, four years longer than planned. It was a forerunner of the current Integral mission.
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Cos-B
The first ESA mission to study gamma-ray sources, Cos-B operated for over six years, four years longer than planned. It was a forerunner of the current Integral mission.
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Voyage 2050
We are paving the way for **future discoveries**

Ocean moons of the giant planets, temperate exoplanets and the Milky Way, and the early Universe, are the three exciting themes defined by the science community as the top-level priorities for the next series of Large-class missions within the Voyage 2050 framework. Medium-class missions will continue to play a key role in enabling Europe to lead missions across all domains of space science. For ambitious missions in the second half of this century, technology development in areas such as cold atom interferometry, X-ray interferometry, cryogenic sample return technology, and advanced power sources for deep space missions will be required. With Voyage 2050, Europe will continue to set new standards in science and innovation for decades to come.

To Enceladus

The stage is set for the world’s first in-situ astrobiology mission to an icy moon: in 2022 Saturn’s moon Enceladus was identified as the destination for the first Large-class mission of Voyage 2050. This ambitious mission will investigate the habitability potential, prebiotic chemistry, biosignatures, and surface-interior interaction of this dynamic ocean world.

Artist’s impression depicting thermal plumes venting from the southern polar region of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Credits: ESA/Science Office.

The M7 mission candidates

Studies of three candidates for the next Medium-class mission slot (M7) are ongoing, with one planned to be selected in 2026 for detailed study prior to adoption into the Science Programme, which is scheduled for 2028.

THE CANDIDATES ARE:

M-Matisse: Mars Magnetosphere Atmosphere Ionosphere and Space weather science

Plasma Observatory: Earth’s plasma environment

THESEUS: Transient High-Energy Sky and Early Universe Surveyor to study high-energy cosmic events

Voyage 2050 is the next planning cycle of the ESA Science Programme. Credit: ESA.

Coming soon

A selection process began in 2025 to identify diverse Medium, Fast and Mini-fast mission candidates that will define Voyage 2050’s scientific priorities for the late 2030s.

Artist’s impression of a temperate exoplanet in our Milky Way. Credits: ESA/Science Office

Science co-creation
We work hand-in-hand with our Member States

The Science Programme Committee (SPC), representing all Member States, oversees ESA’s mandatory Science Programme, guiding its direction and ensuring it reflects the priorities of Europe’s scientific community. Driven by community inputs, the Programme turns bold ideas into iconic missions. A carefully structured selection process ensures transparency, fairness and impact.

Science co-creation
We work hand-in-hand with our Member States

The Science Programme Committee (SPC), representing all Member States, oversees ESA’s mandatory Science Programme, guiding its direction and ensuring it reflects the priorities of Europe’s scientific community. Driven by community inputs, the Programme turns bold ideas into iconic missions. A carefully structured selection process ensures transparency, fairness and impact.

Science co-creation
We work hand-in-hand with our Member States

The Science Programme Committee (SPC), representing all Member States, oversees ESA’s mandatory Science Programme, guiding its direction and ensuring it reflects the priorities of Europe’s scientific community. Driven by community inputs, the Programme turns bold ideas into iconic missions. A carefully structured selection process ensures transparency, fairness and impact.

benefits
Our missions power **science**, drive **innovation**, and strengthen **community**
We enable scientific discovery

Through its pioneering missions, ESA’s Science Programme empowers the scientific community to lead ground-breaking discoveries across astrophysics, cosmology, heliophysics, planetary science and fundamental physics. Its open-access digital data library is the gateway to discovery, allowing a high level of research productivity to be sustained worldwide, and reinforcing leadership among Member States.

Magnetic map of the Sun's surface recorded by ESA's Solar Orbiter PHI instrument. Credit:  ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/PHI Team, J. Hirzberger (MPS)

Delivery of the ultra-precise optical mirror, the key technology for the Euclid mission to collect precise and vast amount of data. Credit: ESA/Safran Reosc

We fuel innovation and new industrial capability

ESA’s space science missions are engines of innovation that drive more than scientific discovery. By challenging engineers to push the boundaries in advanced instrumentation, smarter autonomous systems and novel spacecraft capabilities, these missions spark technological breakthroughs that strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness. These innovations lead to new applications and markets that impact far beyond the space sector. By investing in space research and development, ESA fuels economic growth and fosters high-tech skills and services across Europe.

We foster community

ESA’s Science Programme inspires and nurtures future generations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through early career opportunities and teacher-training initiatives, ESA invests in Europe’s future talent, building a vibrant community of lifelong learners and innovators that strengthens the continent’s knowledge economy. Public-friendly engagement activities and Citizen Science projects centred around ESA’s iconic missions make space accessible to all, igniting curiosity and wonder, and fueling the spirit of discovery.

Global citizen science project finds over 1700 asteroid trails in Hubble images. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, S. Kruk (ESA/ESTEC), Hubble Asteroid Hunter citizen science team, M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble); CC BY 4.0.

more about space science
Discover our science missions

Explore a subset of the ESA Science Programme missions here. Additional mission pages are in progress.
The currently available mission pages are ESA's flagship missions launched from 2013 and to be launched (L-class), and the ones in development (M- and F-class).

Asset Publisher

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Advanced telescope for high-energy astrophysics
NewAthena
NewAthena will map hot gas structures to determine their physical properties, and search for supermassive black holes.
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First gravitational wave detector in space
LISA
LISA will be the first space-based gravitational wave observatory, studying fluctuations in spacetime produced by powerful events such as merging black holes.
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Terrestrial planet hunter
Plato
Plato will study terrestrial planets in orbits up to the habitable zone of Sun-like stars, and characterise these stars.
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Visiting a pristine comet
Comet Interceptor
Comet Interceptor will be the first mission to fly by a pristine comet as it enters the inner Solar System.
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Imaging Earth’s magnetic environment
Smile
Smile will build a complete understanding of the Sun-Earth connection by measuring the solar wind and its dynamic interaction with the magnetosphere.
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ESA's billion star surveyor
Gaia
Gaia is determining the position of nearly two billion objects, creating the largest and most precise 3D map of the Milky Way.
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Investigating Mercury's mysteries
BepiColombo
BepiColombo is Europe’s first mission to Mercury, sent to study the mysterious planet’s interior, surface, atmosphere and magnetosphere to understand its origins.
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Analysing exoplanet atmospheres
Ariel
Ariel will perform a chemical census of a large and diverse sample of exoplanets by analysing their atmospheres.
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Exploring the dark Universe
Euclid
Euclid is exploring the nature of dark energy and dark matter, revealing the history of the Universe’s accelerated expansion and the growth of cosmic structure.
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Exploring the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants
Juice
Juice is on its way to Jupiter to perform detailed investigations of the gas giant and assessing the habitability potential of its large icy satellites.
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Exploring the habitability of Saturn’s Icy Moons
L4 to Enceladus
The first flagship mission of Voyage 2050 will explore Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus, searching for clues about the potential for life.
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Understanding why Venus is so different from Earth
Envision
Envision will provide a complete view of Venus from its inner core to upper atmosphere to determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently.
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the sun up close
Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter is studying the Sun up close, collecting high-resolution images and data from our star and its heliosphere.
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