European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 19 member states. Headquartered in Paris, ESA has a staff of more than 3,000.
ESA's space flight program includes human spaceflight, mainly through the Orion II class ship the Jules Verne, They are building the Edoardo Amaldi Science Station in the vicinity of Tycho Crater. The ESA has also ordered a Challenger Class Cruiser, although political infighting might get that order canceled. The launch and operations of unmanned exploration missions to other planets and the Moon, Earth observation, science, telecommunication as well as maintaining a major spaceport, the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, French Guiana, and designing launch vehicles. 
ESA science missions are based at ESTEC in Noordwijk, Netherlands, Earth Observation missions at ESRIN in Frascati, Italy, ESA Mission Control (ESOC) is in Darmstadt, Germany, the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) that trains astronauts for future missions is situated in Cologne, Germany, and the European Space Astronomy Centre is located in Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain.
The ESA is heavily, even aggressively involved in the Warp Drive Project.
==Craft Used==
There is of course political complains that the Orions are the only craft with any European involvement in the construction, the rest of the ships used are made in the USA. The ESA shrugs and replies that when a European made craft is available they will use it. This infighting is keeping the order for a Challenger on the cusp. The British Royal Navy has already Ordered a Challenger class independent of the ESA.
*The Aries 2i heavy lift vehicle -- (General Dynamics) A number of these ships transport material and personnel between Earth and the Moon.
*Gamma Lifter -- (Lockmart) Second generation aerospace plane. Can land without a runway. Much larger than the Aries class ships.
*Lancer 45 aerospace plane -- (Lockmart) Business sized jet style impulse powered space planes. They are used to ferry personnel to Earth orbit.
*Orion 2 impulse ships -- (Lockmart, Airbus) The Jules Verne plys the solar system on missions to explore the planets.
==Member Countries==
Member stateJoin DateNational Program
France30 October 1980CNES	 
Germany30 October 1980DLR	 
Italy30 October 1980ASI	 
United Kingdom     30 October 1980UKSA	 
Spain30 October 1980CDTI	 
Belgium30 October 1980BELSPO	 
Netherlands30 October 1980NSO	 
Switzerland30 October 1980SSO	 
Sweden30 October 1980SNSB	 
Denmark30 October 1980DTU Space	 
Ireland10 December 1980EI	 
Norway30 December 1986NSC	 
Austria30 December 1986     FFG	 
Finland1 January 1995TEKES	 
Portugal14 November 2000FCT	 
Greece9 March 2005ISARS	 
Luxembourg30 June 2005Luxinnovation	 
Czech Republic8 July 2008CSO
Category:Groups
Category:Technology
Category:Space