The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organization of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space. The ESA's mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. The ESA's activities include human and robotic spaceflight, Earth observation, science, navigation, telecommunications, exploration of Mars and the Moon, aeronautics, technology development, and operations.