A fresh start for Europe's space agency

摘要

The European Space Agency has a strong track record and plenty of ambition to propel it into its next 30 years, says Giovanni Bignami. But key decisions must be made in the context of a new Europe. Celebrations for the thirtieth birthday, of the European Space Agency (ESA) began early when the Huygens probe landed on Saturn's moon Titan on 14 January. Another mark of European success in space science is that out of a fleet of 17 satellites operated by ESA, 15 are involved in scientific projects. A further satellite will soon be launched in the first European mission to Venus.