European Space Agency (ESA)
ESA is an intergovernmental body devoted to space exploration made up of 22 member states, along with several associate members and cooperation agreements. The Council is ESA's governing body and provides the basic policy guidelines within which ESA develops the European space programme. Each Member State is represented on the Council and has one vote, regardless of its size or financial contribution. ESA is headed by a Director General, who is assisted by 11 Directors, each of whom are responsible for one of ESA’s programmes or administering part of the agency.
ESA activities are diverse, from Earth observation, to launchers, through to science, exploration and space safety. Strengthening Europe’s space ambitions to better serve European citizens. Working on use of space for climate change, towards safe and sustainable space activities, guaranteed access to space and exploration.
Core to ESA convention: The purpose of the Agency shall be to provide for and to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes, cooperation among European States in space research and technology and their space applications, with a view to their being used for scientific purposes and for operational space applications systems.