France

NASA / ESA / CSA • 2021–2040s (operations)

Most powerful space telescope ever built. Launched Dec 25, 2021, operating at Sun-Earth L2 point 1.5M km from Earth. Revolutionizing astronomy across every domain — earliest galaxies, exoplanet atmospheres, star formation, solar system science. Has enough fuel to operate through the 2040s. Built by Northrop Grumman (prime) with Ball Aerospace mirror segments.

ESA / ArianeGroup • 2014–ongoing

Europe's next-generation heavy-lift rocket replacing Ariane 5. After multiple delays, Ariane 6 completed its inaugural flight on July 9, 2024, from Kourou, French Guiana. Available in two configurations — A62 (2 solid boosters) and A64 (4 solid boosters). Critical for Europe's guaranteed independent access to space after reliance on Soyuz ended in 2022.

ESA • 2016–2028

European Mars rover mission to search for biosignatures. Originally a joint ESA-Roscosmos mission, restructured after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. ESA partnered with NASA for landing system support. The Rosalind Franklin rover can drill 2 meters below the Martian surface — deeper than any other Mars mission — to search for organic molecules shielded from radiation.

ESA / European Commission • 2014–ongoing

World's largest Earth observation program with the Sentinel satellite constellation. Provides free, open data for climate monitoring, agriculture, disaster response, and maritime surveillance. Expanding with 6 new Copernicus Expansion missions (CHIME, CIMR, CO2M, CRISTAL, LSTM, ROSE-L) addressing climate change priorities.

ESA / European Commission / EUSPA • 2005–ongoing

Europe's independent global navigation satellite system, the world's most precise GNSS. Currently 28 operational satellites in medium Earth orbit providing positioning, navigation, and timing services. Galileo offers free Open Service accurate to ~1 meter and a High Accuracy Service (HAS) reaching centimeter-level precision. Second generation satellites (G2) with enhanced signals, inter-satellite links, and digital payloads are being launched starting 2024–2025. Mandatory in all smartphones sold in the EU since 2018.

NASA / ESA / JAXA / CSA • 2025–2030s

International space station in lunar orbit supporting Artemis surface missions. Gateway will serve as a staging point for crewed lunar landings, deep space science, and eventual Mars transit. ESA is building the ESPRIT refueling module and I-HAB habitation module. JAXA contributing life support. CSA providing Canadarm3 robotic system.

ESA / Private Companies • 2022–2028

Europe's push to develop reusable and small launch vehicles to compete with SpaceX and Rocket Lab. Key players: Isar Aerospace (Spectrum — 1.3t to LEO, maiden flight 2026), PLD Space (Miura 5 — 450kg to LEO), Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA ONE — 1.3t to LEO), and Orbex (Prime — 180kg to LEO from Scotland). ESA's FLPP program funding next-gen Themis reusable demonstrator.

ESA • 2024–2027

ESA's planetary defense mission to survey the aftermath of NASA's DART impact on asteroid Dimorphos. Launched October 2024, Hera will arrive at the Didymos-Dimorphos system in late 2026. Will measure the crater left by DART, determine Dimorphos's mass and internal structure, and deploy two CubeSats (Milani and Juventas) for close-range inspection.

ESA • 2023–2035

ESA's flagship mission to Jupiter's icy moons Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto. Launched April 2023, JUICE will study whether these ocean worlds could harbor habitable environments. Will become the first spacecraft to orbit a moon other than our own when it enters Ganymede orbit in 2034.