European Space Agency

The European Space Agency, or "ESA", was an intergovernmental organization on Earth dedicated to the exploration of space.
Established in 1975, it had a worldwide staff, and frequently worked with other organizations such as NASA and the International Space Station.

Merged from parent companies European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) and European Space Research Organisation (ESRO),
the new agency was backed by ten founding member countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

One director of the ESA described the agency's mission as such:

"Today, space activities have pursued the benefit of citizens, and citizens are asking for a better quality of life on Earth. They want greater security and economic wealth, but they also want to pursue their dreams, to increase their knowledge, and they want younger people to be attracted to the pursuit of science and technology. I think that space can do all of this: it can produce a higher quality of life, better security, more economic wealth, and also fulfill our citizens' dreams and thirst for knowledge, and attract the young generation. This is the reason space exploration is an integral part of overall space activities. It has always been so, and it will be even more important in the future."