Controlling future missions

ESA is developing innovative software to ensure that future missions fly flawlessly around our planet, voyage to destinations across our Solar System or rove autonomously across an alien surface. We’re working on advanced visualisation techniques, intuitive human-machine interfaces and virtual reality systems, all of which will help our missions do more than ever before.

How we make a space mission
ESA is Europe’s space agency, enabling its 22 Member States to achieve results that no individual nation can match. ESA combines space mission development with supporting labs, test and operational facilities plus in-house experts covering every aspect of space, supported through the Agency’s Basic Activities.