ESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) has also been described as 'Europe's gateway to space'. With 22 European countries pooling their resources to ESA, the agency's objective is to develop Europe's space capability whilst ensuring this investment also benefits those on Earth. ESA's programme includes human spaceflight, and the launch and maintenance of unmanned spacecraft to other planets/moons. ESA is highly influential with regards to space science, technology, telecommunication, and provides invaluable data via observing the Earth from above.