The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to use Cooper’s Island as the site of a temporary tracking station.While not as well known as its American cousin NASA, the ESA has been involved in research missions since its formation in 1975.Formed by the merger of the European Launch Development Organisation (OLDO) and the European Space Research Organisation (ERSO), the ESA is dedicated to scientific research.An intergovernmental organisation, the ESA has a budget of around $5.56 billion and has 18 European member countries and one associate member, Canada.While its headquarters is located in Paris, France, the agency has bases of operation in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Spain, and maintains a major spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.Working alongside NASA, the agency launched the world’s first high-orbit telescope in 1978, and in 1986 the organisation launched Giotto, its first deep-space mission aimed at studying the Halley and Grigg-Skjellerup comets.It was also involved with NASA in the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station.