The Agency is at a turning point in its history, so it is an appropriate moment to document and reflect on the many successes of the past and those still underway, while preparing to head in new directions for the future. The remarkable record stretches from humble beginnings in the 1960s to ESA’s leading position today among the front rank of space organisations, generating enormous benefits for its Member States and their citizens. The Agency has been responsible for developing systems that are now accepted as everyday – and profitable – parts of our lives, leading to the creation of new entities and companies responding to our needs.