The European Space Agency[a] is an intergovernmental organisation
of 22 member states[7] dedicated to the exploration of space.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Paris, ESA has a worldwide
staff of about 2,200 in 2018[8] and an annual budget of about €4.9
billion in 2023.[4] ESA's space flight programme includes human
spaceflight (mainly through participation in the International
Space Station program); the launch and operation of uncrewed
exploration missions to other planets and the Moon; Earth
observation, science and telecommunication; designing launch
vehicles; and maintaining a major spaceport, the Guiana Space
Centre at Kourou (French Guiana), France. The main European launch
vehicle Ariane 5 is operated through Arianespace with ESA sharing
in the costs of launching and further developing this launch
vehicle. The agency is also working with NASA to manufacture the
Orion spacecraft service module that will fly on the Space Launch
System.[9][10]