ESA member states

  ESA associate states

  ESA cooperating state

  ESA ECS states

  ESA Cooperation Agreement states

TheEuropean Space Agency (ESA) operates a number ofspace missions, both individually and in collaborations with other space agencies such as U.S.NASA, JapaneseJAXA, ChineseCNSA, as well as space agencies of ESA member states (eg. FrenchCNES, ItalianASI, GermanDLR, PolishPOLSA).

A staple of the ESA's Science Doctrine is theCosmic Vision Programme, a series ofspace science missions chosen by ESA to launch through competitions, similar toNASA'sDiscovery andNew Frontiers programmes. It follows the Horizon 2000 and Horizon 2000+ programmes which launched notable missions such asHuygens (Titan lander),Rosetta (comet orbiter and lander), andGaia (astrometry telescope). These missions are divided into two categories: "Sun and Solar System",space probes studying theSolar System (eg.Solar Orbiter studying theSun andJUICE currently on its way toJupiter) and "Astrophysics",space telescopes contributing to interstellarastronomy (eg.CHEOPS characterisingexoplanets andEuclid focused ondark matter anddark energy). The Cosmic Vision Programme will be followed byVoyage 2050.^[1]

A similarly operated programme focused onEarth observation, known asFutureEO, has launched various "Earth Explorer" satellites, which serve many aspects ofGeoscience, often related toclimate change. These include eg.GOCE andSwarm studying Earth'sgravitational andmagnetic fields,CryoSat-2 studying Earth'spolar ice caps, andEarthCARE characterising clouds andaerosols in the atmosphere. The Earth Explorer missions will be complemented by a series of smaller "Scout" satellites.^[2]

A number of Solar System, Astrophysics, and Earth observation missions by ESA have operated outside of a canonical programme, such asGiotto,Ulysses,Mars Express,Hipparcos, orEnvisat. ESA also takes part inhuman spaceflight missions of other space agencies and commercial partners, eg. by providingEuropean astronauts and major hardware components to theSpace Shuttle,Mir,ISS, andArtemis programmes and supporting theGaganyyan programme. ESA works with European space industry on development oflaunch vehicles andreentry systems like theAriane andVega rockets and theSpace Rider spaceplane. Together with other European institutions, ESA develops and operates varioussatellite constellations for Earth observation, meteorology, communication, and navigation, eg.Meteosat,Sentinel,Galileo, orEDRS. ESA's portfolio also includespublic-private partnerships with European satellite operators such asEutelsat andInmarsat.

• Cornerstone 1 –SOHO, launched December 1995,operational – Joint ESA-NASASolar observation mission providing real-time data forspace weather forecasting.^[3]
• Cornerstone 1 –Cluster, launched June 1996,failed –Earth observation mission using four identical spacecraft to study the planet'smagnetosphere. Failed on launch.^[3][4]
  • Re-launch –Cluster II, launched July and August 2000,completed – Successful replacement mission.^[5]
• Cornerstone 2 –XMM-Newton, launched December 1999,operational – AnX-rayspace telescope, studying the full range of cosmic X-ray sources.^[6][7]
• Cornerstone 3 –Rosetta, launched March 2004,completed –67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko orbiter mission, studyingcomets and their evolution.^[8][9]
• Cornerstone 4 –Herschel, launched May 2009,completed –Infrared space observatory mission for general astronomy.^[8][10]

• Medium 1 –Huygens, launched October 1997,completed –Titan lander component of theCassini–Huygens mission; first landing in the outer solar system.^[11]
• Medium 2 –INTEGRAL, launched October 2002,completed – Gamma ray space observatory, also capable of observing X-ray and visible wavelengths.^[12]
• Medium 3 –Planck, launched May 2009,completed –Cosmology mission that mapped thecosmic microwave background and itsanisotropies.^[13]

• Mission 1 –Gaia, launched December 2013,completed –Astrometry mission measuring positions and distances of over one billion objects in theMilky Way.
• Mission 2 –LISA Pathfinder, launched December 2015,completed – Demonstration of technologies for theCosmic VisionLISAGravitational-wave observatory mission.^[14][15][16]
• Mission 3 –BepiColombo, launched October 2018,operational – Joint ESA-JAXA reconnaissance mission toMercury, using two unique spacecraft operating respectively.

• S1 –CHEOPS, launched December 2019,operational –space telescope mission focused on studying knownexoplanets.
• S2 –SMILE, launching 2026,future – Joint ESA-CASEarth observation mission, studying the interaction between the planet's magnetosphere andsolar wind.^[17]

• M1 –Solar Orbiter, launched February 2020,operational – Solar observatory mission, designed to perform in-situ studies of the Sun at a perihelion of 0.28astronomical units.
• M2 –Euclid, launched July 2023,operational – Visible and near-infrared space observatory mission focused ondark matter anddark energy.
• M3 –PLATO, launching 2026,future –Kepler-like space observatory mission, aimed at discovering and observing exoplanets.
• M4 –ARIEL, launching 2029,future –Planck-based space observatory mission studying the atmosphere of known exoplanets.^[18]
• M5 –EnVision, launching 2031,future –Venus mapping orbiter mission.^[19]

• L1 –Juice, launched April 2023 with an orbital insertion in July 2031,operational (in transit) –Jupiter orbiter mission, focused on studying theGalilean moonsEuropa,Ganymede andCallisto.
• L2 –Athena, launching 2037,future – X-ray space observatory mission, designed as a successor to theXMM-Newton telescope.
• L3 –LISA, launching 2035,future – the first dedicatedgravitational wave space observatory mission.^[20][21]

• F1 –Comet Interceptor, launching 2029,future – Comet flyby mission.^[18][22]
• F2 –ARRAKIHS, launching in the early 2030s,future – Survey of one hundred nearby galaxies and their surroundings to investigatedwarf galaxies andstellar streams.

TheVoyage 2050 programme is the successor to theCosmic Vision programme withinESA's Science Programme for the period 2035-2050.^[23]

• L4 –Enceladus mission, launching in 2042,future (proposed) – Fly-bys ofSaturn's icy moons, sampling ofEnceladus's plumes, orbitingEnceladus, and landing on Enceladus.^{[24][25][26][27][28]}

• Earth Explorer 1 –GOCE, launched March 2009,completed —Gravimetry mission, aimed at accurately mapping Earth'sgravity field.
• Earth Explorer 2 –SMOS, launched November 2009,operational — Climatology mission, focused on studying Earth'swater cycle andclimate.
• Earth Explorer 3 –CryoSat-2, launched April 2010,operational —Environmental science andglaciology mission, focused on studying Earth'spolar ice caps. Successful relaunch of the failedCryoSat mission.
• Earth Explorer 4 –Swarm, launched November 2013,operational —Magnetosphere mission, carried out by a trio of spacecraft launched to studyEarth's magnetic field.
• Earth Explorer 5 –ADM-Aeolus, re-entry July 2023,completed –Meteorology mission, performed by a spacecraft equipped to create global wind component profiles to aid more advancedweather forecasting.
• Earth Explorer 6 –EarthCARE, launched May 2024,operational – Joint ESA-JAXA meteorology andclimatology mission, aimed at the characterization of clouds andaerosols, along with measurements of reflected and emittedradiation from Earth's surface.
• Earth Explorer 7 –Biomass, launched in April 2025,operational –Ecology mission, studying thecarbon cycle andforest ecology, observing the development of forests and their characteristics.
• Earth Explorer 8 –FLEX, launching 2026,future –Biology mission, aimed at measuring the amount ofchlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation.
• Earth Explorer 9 –FORUM, launching 2027,future –Climatology mission, aimed at measuring far-infraredoutgoing radiation emissions in order to understand Earth's surface temperature regulation.
• Earth Explorer 10 –Harmony, launching 2029,future – Formation flyingsynthetic aperture radar mission.
• Earth Explorer 11 –Wivern, launching NET 2032,future – Wind Velocity Radar Nephoscope; a mission to measure cloud wind velocity, rain, snow, and ice water via aDoppler weather radarnephoscope, in order to improve weather forecast models.^[29][30]

Scout missions, launching 2025 onward, are a series of smallEarth observation satellites complementing theEarth Explorer missions.^[2]

• Scout 1 – CubeMAP,cancelled – quantifying processes in the upper-atmosphere^[31][32]
• Scout 2 –HydroGNSS, launching in 2025,future – two identical satellites^[33] sensingGalileo andGPS signals reflected by Earth's surface for improving the knowledge of Earth'shydrological cycle^[34]
• Scout 3 –NanoMagSat,future – measuring the ionospheric environment, monitoring Earth’s magnetic field^[35]
• Scout 4 –Tango,future – monitoring three greenhouse gases: methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide being emitted from large industrial sites^[36]

• Phi-Sat-1, launched in 2020,operational – technology demonstration cubesat
• Phi-Sat-2, launched in 2024,operational – technology demonstration cubesat

• Hera, launched October 2024,operational – European asteroid probe aimed at studying the effects of aNEO'simpact created by NASA'sDART mission using65803 Didymos's moon (Dimorphos) as a target

• Draco, launching in 2027,future – small space capsule monitoring the breakup and demise processes of a re-entering satellite^{[38][39][40][41]}
• SWING, launching in 2027future –ionosphere monitoring mission^[42]
• SAWA, launching in 2028future –thermosphere monitoring mission^[42]
• Ramses, launch planned for April 2028,future (proposed) – mission to thenear-Earth asteroid99942 Apophis. Funding decision expected in late 2025
• ClearSpace-1, launching in 2029,future –space debris removal demonstration mission with the objective of deorbitingPROBA-1
• CREAM in-orbit demonstration, launch planned for 2028future (proposed) – automated collision avoidance demonstration mission^[42]
• OPTIMIST, launch planned for 2028future (proposed) – registering tinyspace debris test^[42]
• RISE, launching in 2029,future – in-orbit servicing demonstration mission^[43][44]
• Aurora-D &Aurora-C, first launch planned for 2030,future (proposed) – a demonstrator satellite and a satellite constellation forAuroral oval monitoring^[45][46]
• SAILOR,future (proposed) –space debris monitoring satellites usingsolar sail-like foils as impact detectors^[47][48][49]
• Visdoms-S, launch planned for 2030 – optical observation ofspace debris^[42]
• Satis, launch planned for 2030,future (proposed) –cubesat mission an asteroid^[50][42]
• CAT (CApTure Payload Bay), launch planned for 2030future (proposed) — joint ESA-AEE mission to test a standardised docking interface for satellite removal^[51]
• ERASE, launch planned for 2030future (proposed) – removal of a large satellite^[42]
• Vigil, launching in 2031,future –space weather mission to the Sun-EarthLagrange point 5
• Ecostars, launch planned for 2031future (proposed) – Ecodesign technologies test^[42]
• Circular Economy I, launch planned for 2031future (proposed) – in-orbit refurbishment mission^[42]
• LEMO demonstrator, launch planned for 2032future (proposed) – cis-lunar debris monitoring mission^[42]
• Precision Asteroid Nudging, launch planned for 2032future (proposed) – ion-beam asteroid deflection test^[42]
• SWORD, launching in 2032,future (proposed) – two satellites inGTO-like orbit monitoring Earth'sradiation belts^[52][53][54]
• NEOMIR, launch planned for 2030s,future (proposed) – asteroid-detecting space telescope in the Sun-Earth L1 point^[55]
• SHIELD, launch planned for 2030sfuture (proposed) –CME advanced warning mission^[42]
• ENCORE, launch planned for 2030sfuture (proposed) – mission life extension^[42]
• e.Deorbit,cancelled – space debris removal demonstration mission, superseded byClearSpace-1

• Optical Ground Station (OGS),operational – observatory atTeide Observatory^[56]
• Izaña-1 and Izaña-2, since 2022,operational –laser-ranging stations atTeide Observatory for tracking satellites andspace debris^[57][58]
• Flyeye,first light in 2025,operational – network of ground-based telescopes forNEO early warning

• European Astronaut Corps, since 1983,operational – selects, trains, and provides European astronauts as crew members onNASA andRoscosmos space missions
• Spacelab, launched between 1983 and 1998,completed – a reusable crewed laboratory developed by ESA and used on certain flights of theSpace Shuttle
• Euromir, launched in 1994 and 1995,completed – ESA astronaut missions to theMir space station
• ESA contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), since 2001,operational
  • Columbus, launched in February 2008,operational – a crewed laboratory module
  • Columbus External Payload Facility, launched in February 2008,operational – two platforms for external payloads attached to the starboard cone of Columbus
  • Bartolomeo, launched in April 2020,operational – a platform for external payloads attached to Columbus
  • Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), launched between 2008 and 2015,completed – an expendablecargo spacecraft
  • Cupola, launched in February 2010,operational – anESA-built observatory module
  • European Robotic Arm (ERA), launched in July 2021,operational – arobotic arm that is attached to theRussian segment of theInternational Space Station
• European Service Module (ESM), first launched in November 2022,operational – a component of the crewedOrion spacecraft, part of the NASA-ledArtemis program
• ESA participation inAxiom missions, since 2024,operational – ESA astronauts on short-term private flights to ISS
  • Muninn onAxiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024,completed
  • Ignis onAxiom Mission 4, launched in June 2025,completed
  • Mission ofAleš Svoboda, launching no earlier than 2027,future^[59][60]
• ESA contribution to theLunar Gateway, first launch planned for 2027,future – an international crewed space station in lunar orbit, part of the NASA-ledArtemis program
  • European Radiation Sensors Array (ERSA), launch planned for 2027,future – ESA-built component of the NASAHALO module
  • LunarLink, launch planned for 2027,future – ESA-built communication equipment package connected to the NASAHALO module
  • Lunar I-Hab, launch planned for 2028,future – joint ESA-JAXA habitat module
  • ESPRIT Refueling Module (ERM), launch planned for 2030,future – a crewed service module providing refueling, communications equipment, habitation area, and storage
• LEO Cargo Return Service, first launch planned for 2030,future – a program to developspace capsules capable of resupplying space stations and returning cargo from orbit.^[61][62][63] As of 2025, development of two vehicles is being supported by ESA:The Exploration Company's Nyx capsule andThales Alenia Space's capsule^[64]
• ESA contribution tocommercial space station programmes,future — ESA intends to use the services oflow Earth orbit commercial space stations likeOrbital Reef orStarlab and to support European industry in supplying major components for these projects^[65][66]
• Hermes,cancelled – proposedhuman spaceflight program centered around a CNES-designed reusablespaceplane. Project cancelled in 1992 due to difficulties with achieving financial and scientific goals
• Columbus Man-Tended Free Flyer,cancelled – proposed space station intended to be serviced by the Hermes spaceplane
• Hopper,cancelled – successor concept to Hermes. Cancelled in 2005 after lack of interest
• CSTS,cancelled – former proposed design for a crewed spacecraft for low Earth orbit operations
• Aurora programme,cancelled – ESA human spaceflight programme from 2001

• AMASE, between 2003 and 2011,completed – expeditions toMars analogue sites onSvalbard
• Concordia Station, since 2005,operational – all-year research station on theAntarctic Plateau
• CAVES, since 2011,operational – ESA-developedastronaut training field course incaves
• NEEMO, between 2015 and 2019,completed – ESA astronauts participating in NASA-led missions to theAquarius underwater laboratory
• PANGAEA, since 2016,operational – ESA-developedastronaut training field course focused ongeology andastrobiology
• LunAres, since 2017,operational – private Mars and Moon analogue laboratory inPiła, in partnership withESA andPOLSA^[67][68]
• LUNA, since 2024,operational – joint ESA-DLR lunar analogue facility inCologne^[69][70]

• Ariane 1,Ariane 2,Ariane 3,Ariane 4, andAriane 5, launched between 1979 and 2023,completed – pastexpendable launch systems of theAriane rocket family developed for ESA
• Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD), launched October 1998,completed –space capsule demonstration mission to test new technologies inatmospheric entry design
• Vega, launched between 2012 and 2024,completed – anexpendablesmall-lift launch vehicle developed jointly by ESA andISA
• Future Launchers Preparatory Programme, since 2004,operational – ESA rocket development projects
  • Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), launched February 2015,completed – experimental suborbital re-entry vehicle; demonstration mission forreusable launchers andspaceplanes
  • Vinci, first launch in 2024,operational – restartable,cryogenic,liquid-propellant rocket engine that powers theupper stage ofAriane 6
  • Space Rider, launching 2027 onward,future – an uncrewedlifting body orbitalspaceplane, result of theProgramme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe and a successor toIXV
  • Prometheus,future –methalox spacecraft propulsion system
  • Themis,future – ESA programme to develop a prototype reusable rocket first stage using thePrometheus rocket engine. A similar project calledCALLISTO is being independently developed byCNES,DLR, andJAXA and DLR alone is developing the Reusable Flight Experiment (ReFEx), a demonstrator for a winged reusable rocket first stage.^[71]
• QARMAN, launched in 2019,failed – cubesat for testing reentry technologies
• Vega C, first launch in 2022,operational – a Europeanexpendable,small-lift launch vehicle, an evolution of the originalVega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility
• Ariane 6, first launch in 2024,operational – a European expendable launch system developed for ESA and manufactured byArianeGroup. As part of theAriane rocket family, it is operated byArianespace, replacing theAriane 5
• Boost! programme, since 2020,^[72][73]operational – support for European commercial initiatives that offer transportation services to space, in space, and returning from space. The supported projects include:Isar Aerospace'sSpectrum launch vehicle,^[74]Orbex's Prime launch vehicle,^[75]Rocket Factory Augsburg'sRFA One launch vehicle,^[76]PLD Space'sMiura 5 launch vehicle,^[77]Skyrora's XL launch vehicle,^[78]HyImpulse's SL1 launch vehicle,^[79]Space Forge's ForgeStar reentry vehicle,^[80] SpaceForest's Perun suborbitalsounding rocket,^[81]D-Orbit's ION satellite carrier,^[82] and the Omega service consortium's satellite propulsion systems^[83]

• Flight Ticket Initiative, since 2023,operational – joint ESA-EU programme supporting development of new satellite technologies with subsidized launch opportunities^[84]
• European Launcher Challenge, since 2025,operational – ESA-funded competition to support new launch vehicles with up to 169 million euro for each selected vehicle^[85]
• ASTRIS,future — an optional add-on stage for Ariane 6^[86] using the BERTA engine developed underFLPP^[87]
• Reusable Upper Stage Demonstrator,future (proposed) – technology demonstration forreusable launch vehicles^[88][89]
• INVICTUS, first flight planned for 2031,future (proposed) –hypersonics and horizontal launch demonstrator based on theSABRE engine technology^[90][91]
• Ariane Next,future (proposed) – a partially reusable launcher planned to succeedAriane 6
• EXPERT,cancelled – concept for a flying hypersonic re-entry vehicle with cooperation withRoscosmos. Indefinitely postponed since 2012, due to Roscosmos' withdrawal from the project

• ISEE-2, launched October 1977,completed – ESA component of the JointNASA-ESAInternational Sun-Earth Explorer series of magnetospheric observations
• Giotto, launched July 1985,completed – firstinterplanetary mission by the ESA, aimed at performing the firstcomet flyby, ofComet Halley. Part of the canonicalHalley Armada
• Ulysses, launched October 1990,completed – joint ESA-NASASolar observatory mission, employing a spacecraft in a polar heliocentric orbit
• SMART-1, launched September 2003,completed – demonstration mission forsolar electric propulsion, manifesting in alunar orbiter mission carrying low-cost, miniaturised instruments
• Mars Express, launched June 2003,operational –Mars orbiter mission focused on observing the planet through high-resolution imagery and conducting research of the planet's interaction with the solar system
• Venus Express, launched November 2005,completed –Venus orbiter mission, focused on long-term study and observation of itsatmosphere from polar cytherocentric orbit
• Schiaparelli, launched March 2016,failed – demonstration mission for landing technologies designed for theExoMarssurface platform. Failed upon landing onMars
• Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), launched March 2016,operational – Mars orbiter component of theExoMarsastrobiology mission, focused on observingmethane in the planet's atmosphere for clues to past or presentlife on Mars
• HENON, scheduled to launch in 2026,future – aspace weather mission, ESA's first ever stand-alone deep spacecubesat^[92][93]
• Lunar Pathfinder, scheduled to launch in 2026,future – a lunar communication satellite, precursor to theMoonlight Initiative
• Earth Return Orbiter (ERO), scheduled to launch in 2027,future – ESA component of the jointNASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission; possibly reassigned to a one-way mission to study theatmosphere of Mars^[94]
• M-Argo, launch planned for 2027,future – acubesat mission to an asteroid^[95][96]
• LUMIO, launch planned for 2027,future – acubesat mission to characterize the impacts ofnear-Earth meteoroids on thelunar far side
• Moonlight, launching 2028 onward,future – a constellation of communication and navigation satellites around the Moon. Part of the NASA-ESA-JAXA projectLunaNet
• Rosalind Franklin, launching 2028,future – anExoMars programMars landing mission. Planned to be the first EuropeanMars rover
• VMMO, launch planned for 2028,future (proposed) –cubesat mission to map the distribution of water ice andilmenite in the Moon's shadowed polar regions^[97]
• Moonraker,future (proposed), launch planned for 2028 –LiDAR mapping mission in a polar orbit around the Moon
• MAGPIE,future (proposed), launch planned for 2028 – the first lunar rover mission by ESA; developed byispace
• Argonaut, first launch planned for 2031,future – a class of largelunar landers for lunar logistics
• ASSIGN (Advancing Solar System Internet and GrouNd) programme,future (proposed) – interplanetary communication network of networks building upon theMoonlight initiative^[98][99]
  • SSI Node-1,future (proposed) – central element of ASSIGN; demonstration of an optical trunk link from Moon's orbit^[98]
• LightShip, first launch planned for 2032,future (proposed) – a propulsive tug for interplanetary transfer toMars^[100]
• SpotLight, launch planned for 2032,future (proposed) – high resolution imagery Mars orbiter.^[101] The first spacecraft to be delivered to Mars byLightShip, part of the LightShip-1 mission^[102]
• 2035 Mars lander, launch planned for 2035,future (proposed) – a larger follow-up toRosalind Franklin with high-precision landing on Mars.^[103] The first mission using results of the Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing (MEDaL) programme^[101]
• Flapping Wing Mars Explorer,future (proposed) — in-situ measurements near Mars surface using ahummingbird-inspiredbiomimetic aerial platform^[104][105]
• ODINUS,future (proposed) – a dualUranus andNeptune orbital mission. Proposed for the L2 and L3 missions of the Cosmic Vision programme, but eliminated from the running both times
• Marco Polo,future (proposed) – asample-return mission focused on collecting and returning a sample from aNear-Earth object. Proposed for the M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 missions of the Cosmic Vision programme, it has since been rejected all five times
• Don Quijote,cancelled – concept for a demonstration mission, testing technologies inasteroid deflection. Abandoned after lack of interest from the ESA
• Lunar Lander,cancelled – proposed launch in 2018 – Demonstration mission aimed at testing new technologies in lunar landing, including autonomous redirects. Project put on hold due to lack of financial support, as of 2012. Superseded byArgonaut
• HERACLES,cancelled – planned robotic lunar landing system by ESA and JAXA. Superseded byArgonaut

• COS-B, launched August 1975,completed –gamma-ray space observatory mission organized by theEuropean Space Research Organisation, a precursor to the ESA. The first mission launched by ESA
• International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), launched January 1978,completed – joint NASA-ESA-SERCultraviolet space observatory mission for general astronomy
• EXOSAT, launched May 1983,completed – ESA's firstX-ray space observatory mission
• Hipparcos, launched August 1989,completed – firstastrometry mission ever launched, focused on cataloguing over 118,200 stars in the eponymous Hipparcos Catalogue, published in 1997
• Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), launched November 1995,completed –infrared space observatory mission for general astronomy
• Hubble Space Telescope(HST), launched April 1990,operational – joint NASA-ESA-STScl space observatory mission, carried out by anear ultraviolet,visible, andnear infrared telescope
• CoRoT, launched December 2006,completed –CNES-ledspace telescope mission to search for rockyexoplanets and performasteroseismology studies
• Sunstorm, launched in 2021,completed – solarX-ray spectrometer cubesat^[106][107]
• James Webb Space Telescope(JWST), launched in December 2021,operational – joint NASA-ESA-CSA infrared space observatory mission for general astronomy andcosmology
• PROBA-3, launched December 2024,operational – microsatellite solar observation andformation flying demonstration mission, serving as the fourth flight in the Proba series
• CubeSpec, launching in 2026,future –asteroseismology cubesat
• Astrophysical Lunar Observatory, launch planned for around 2035,future (proposed) – radio telescopes on the far side of the Moon, delivered byArgonaut.^{[108][109][110][111]}
• LOFT,future (proposed) –X-ray space observatory mission focused on the study of high-mass objects such asblack holes andneutron stars. Finalist for the M3 slot in theCosmic Vision programme, but lost toPLATO
• STE-QUEST,future (proposed) –astrophysics demonstration mission focused on testing theequivalence principle
• THESEUS,future (proposed) –astrophysics mission to studygamma-ray bursts andX-rays for investigating theearly universe; unsuccessful finalist forCosmic Vision M5, candidate for M7.
• Darwin,cancelled – proposedexoplanetary science mission focused on directly detecting Earth-likeexoplanets. Proposed as a cornerstone for the Horizon 2000+ programme, but abandoned in 2007
• EChO,cancelled – space observatory mission aimed atexoplanetary science, employing high resolution, multi-wavelength spectroscopic observations. Finalist for the M3 slot in the Cosmic Vision programme, but lost toPLATO. Succeeded byARIEL as the M4 mission
• Eddington,cancelled – concept for anasteroseismology mission designed to detect exoplanets. Cancelled in 2003

• Meteosat (first generation), launched November 1977 to September 1997,completed – jointEUMETSAT-ESAmeteorology mission consisting sevengeostationary satellites launched over a period of twenty years. Meteosat-7 re-orbiting commenced on 3-April-2017
• GEOS-1 andGEOS-2, launched April 1977 and July 1978,completed – magnetospheric reconnaissance mission, consisting experimental payloads by various European national space administrations
• ERS-1 andERS-2, launched July 1991 and April 1995,completed – ESA's first Earth observation missions
• PROBA-1, launched October 2001,operational –microsatellite earth observation and Low Earth Orbit technology demonstration mission for various new instruments, the first mission of thePROBA satellite series
• Envisat, launched March 2002,completed – Earth observation mission focused onenvironmental studies, using the largest civilian Earth observation satellite ever launched
• Double Star, launched December 2003 and July 2004,completed – jointCNSA-ESAEarth observation mission to study the planet'smagnetosphere, complementing the Horizon 2000Cluster mission
• MeteosatSecond Generation (MSG), launched January 2004 to July 2015,operational – joint EUMETSAT-ESA meteorology mission to launch the second generation of Meteosat satellites, of which four were launched over a period of eleven years
• CryoSat-1, launched October 2005,failed –environmental science andglaciology mission, focused on studying Earth's polar ice caps. Failed on launch, and relaunched asCryoSat-2 in theLiving Planet Programme
• MetOp (first generation), launched October 2006 to 2018,operational – joint EUMETSAT-ESA operational meteorology mission consisting three satellites launched over a period of twelve years
• PROBA-2, launched November 2009,operational – microsatellite earth observation and Low Earth Orbit technology demonstration mission, serving as the second flight in the Proba series
• PROBA-V, launched May 2013,operational – microsatellite earth observation mission focused on mapping land cover and vegetation growth across Earth in bi-daily cycles; the 3rd mission in the Proba series
• Sentinel, launched April 2014 onward,operational – suite ofEarth observation missions serving as the ESA's contribution to theEuropean Commission'sCopernicus Programme
  • Sentinel-1, first launch in 2014,operational – all-weather, day and night radar imaging
  • Sentinel-2, first launch in 2015,operational – high-resolution optical imaging
  • Sentinel-3, first launch in 2016,operational – ocean and global land monitoring services
  • Sentinel-5 Precursor, launched in 2017,operational – monitoringair pollution
  • Sentinel-6, first launch in 2020,operational – sea level altimetry
  • Sentinel-4, first launch in 2025,operational – Europe's 1st hyperspectral sounding mission inGEO
  • Sentinel-5A, launched in 2025,operational – atmospheric composition monitoring
  • CO2M (Sentinel-7), first launch in 2027,future – anthropogenic CO₂ emissions monitoring
• TechDemoSat-1, launched in 2014,completed – jointUKSA-ESAGNSS reflectometry demonstration mission^[112]
• SIMBA, launched in 2020,completed –cubesat mission measuring total solar irradiance to determine Earth’s radiation budget.^[113][107]
• PICASSO, launched in 2020,completed –cubesat mission measuring theozone distribution in thestratosphere, the temperature profile up to themesosphere, and the electron density in theionosphere.^[114][115]
• RadCube, launched in 2021,completed –cubesat mission monitoringspace weather impacts toEarth's magnetosphere during a peak insolar activity cycle.^{[116][107][117]}
• Meteosat Third Generation (MTG), launched December 2022 onward,operational – joint EUMETSAT-ESA meteorology mission to launch the third generation ofMeteosat satellites
• PRETTY, launched in October 2023,operational –cubesat usingGalileo andGPS signals to measuresea ice^[118]
• PROBA-V CubeSat Companion, launched in October 2023,operational –cubesat using a spare Earth observation instrument from thePROBA-V mission
• MANTIS, launched in November 2023,completed –multispectral imaging cubesat
• Intuition-1, launched in November 2023,operational – Polish technology demonstration cubesat for Earth observation, supported by ESA
• Arctic Weather Satellite, launched in August 2024,operational – joint ESA-EUMETSAT small meteorological satellite providing detailed temperature and humidity profiles. A precursor to the proposedEPS-Sterna constellation^[119][120]
• AIX, first launch in January 2025,operational – series of technology demonstration satellites
• HiVE, first launch in January 2025,operational –thermal imaging constellation
• FOREST-3, launched in 2025,operational –thermal imaging satellite forwildfire detection
• IRIDE, first launch in 2025,operational – joint ESA-ASI Earth observation satellite constellation providing environmental, emergency, and security services for Italy^[121][122]
• DUTHSat-2, launched in June 2025,operational – joint ESA-Greek environmental monitoring 6Ucubesat^[123][124]
• MetOp-SG, first launch in 2025,operational – joint EUMETSAT-ESA operational meteorology mission, launching the second generation ofMetOp satellites, of which a constellation of six will be launched
• Atlantic Constellation, first launch in 2026,future –constellation ofEarth observation satellites for Spain, Portugal, and UK^[125]
• ALTIUS, launching in 2026,future – monitoring the distribution and evolution ofstratospheric ozone in the Earth's atmosphere
• CAMILA, launching 2027 onward,future – jointPOLSA-ESA Earth observation satellite constellation^[126][127]
• Genesis, launching in 2028,future – geodetic satellite that will update theInternational Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) of Earth with an accuracy of 1 mm^[128][129]
• EPS-Sterna, launching 2029 onward,future (proposed) – joint ESA-EUMETSAT constellation of 18 micro-satellites, based on theArctic Weather Satellite^[130]
• TRUTHS, launching in 2030,future – satellite for continuous measurements of incoming and reflected radiation to evaluate Earth's energy-in to energy-out ratio, providing reference forclimate measurements^[131][132]
• Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM), launch planned for 2032,future (proposed) – a pair of identicalgravimetry satellites^{[133][134][135]}
• European Resilience from Space (ERS),future – intelligence and surveillance programme^[136][137]

• OTS-1 andOTS-2, launched September 1977 and May 1978,completed – demonstration mission for ageostationarycommunications satellite system. OTS-1 was lost in a launchfailure
• MARECS family, launched December 1981 to November 1984,completed – jointInmarsat-ESA program which launched a satellite duo to create a global maritime communications network. MARECS Bfailed on launch
• ECS family, launched June 1983 to July 1988,completed – jointEutelsat-ESA mission to launch the first generation of EUTELSAT telecommunication satellites
• Olympus, launched July 1989,completed – telecommunications mission pioneering high-power transmitters, multi-spot beamK_a band technology and on-board switching
• Artemis, launched in July 2001,completed – geostationary telecommunications satellite and technology demonstrator
• GIOVE-A, launched December 2005,completed – demonstration mission testing technologies for theGalileosatellite navigation system
• GIOVE-B, launched April 2008,completed – second demonstration mission testing technologies for the Galileo satellite navigation system. Retired in 2012
• Galileo, launched October 2011 onward,operational – joint ESA-EUSPAgeodesy project to create an indigenousglobal navigation satellite system independent of the RussianGLONASS, ChineseBeiDou and AmericanGPS systems
• Alphasat, launched July 2013,operational – jointInmarsat-ESA mission to launch an advancedgeostationary communication satellite to serve Africa, Asia and Europe; the largest ever built by Europe
• GOMX-3, launched in 2015,completed – ESA's first technology demonstrationCubeSat
• European Data Relay System (EDRS), launched January 2016 to 2017,operational –geosynchronousoptical communication network consisting a constellation of two satellites, EDRS-A and EDRS-C
• ESAIL, launched in 2020,completed – microsatellite for tracking ships worldwide^{[138][139][140]}
• JoeySat, launched in 2023,completed – joint ESA-Eutelsat OneWeb 5G connectivity technology demonstration satellite^[141]
• MICE-1, launching in 2025,future – maritime tracking cubesat
• PHASMA (LAMARR and DIRAC), launching in 2025,future –radio frequency spectrum monitoring cubesat
• Celeste (LEO-PNT), launching 2025 to 2027,future – a 10-satellitelow earth orbit technology demonstration constellation for improving navigation services^{[142][143][144]}
• Eagle-1, launch planned for 2025 or 2026,future – joint ESA-EUquantum key distribution satellite^[145]
• SAGA,future – joint ESA-EUquantum key distribution satellite demonstration mission focused on classified and critical data flows^{[146][147][148]}
• Q-Design,future – joint ESA-Hispasat project forquantum key distribution from GEO and LEO orbits^[149][150]
• QKDSat,future – joint ESA-Honeywellquantum key distribution satellite^[151][152]
• IRIS², launching 2027 onward,future – multi-orbit satellite internet constellation
• Electra, launch date unknown,future – joint ESA-SES telecommunications mission, utilizing a spacecraft withelectrical-powered propulsion
• HydRON, launch date unknown,future – advanced laser-based satellite communication system^{[153][154][155][156]}

• CAT-1, launched in 1979,completed – vehicle evaluation satellite onAriane 1
• EURECA, launched August 1992,completed – microgravity testbed mission carrying a suite of fifteen instruments from various European national space administrations
• SSETI Express, launched October 2005,completed – student demonstration mission, sponsored by the ESA Education Office, which launched threeCubeSats to take pictures of the Earth and serve as a radiotransponder
• YES2, launched September 2007,completed – student demonstration mission, sponsored by the ESA Education Office, which deployed a 31.7 km-longspace tethered constellation of satellites. Partial launchfailure
• GOMX-4B, launched in 2018,completed – cubesat demonstrating formation flying^[157][107]
• OPS-SAT, launched in 2019,completed – on-board computer technology demonstration cubesat
• YPSat-1, launched July 2024,completed – satellite designed and produced entirely by young professionals at ESA, launched aboard the inaugural flight ofAriane 6 to record the fairing separation and provide in-orbit imagery of the Earth^[158]
• GENA-OT, launching in 2025,future – in-orbit demonstration (IOD) of an IOD platform
• YPSat-2, launching in 2027,future – second project by ESA Young Professionals, an experiment flying aboardSpace Rider to study howmicrogravity affects blood flow in space^[159][160]
• ASTRAL, launching in 2028,future – demonstration ofin-space refueling^[161]
• SOLARIS, first launch planned for 2030s,future (proposed) – demonstration ofspace-based solar power^[162]

• List of NASA missions
• List of ISRO missions

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• European Space Agency Cosmos portal – Official website of the ESA Science Directorate
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• ESA's Cosmic Vision – The current ESA science mission program
• ESA Historical Timeline
• ESA: Our Missions

• European Space Agency
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