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Common mistake, but it is just ESA, not "the ESA". Just as it is NASA and not "the NASA".

Prepositions in English are highly idiomatic. Although there are some rules for usage, much preposition usage is dictated by fixed expressions. [0]

Prepositions are fascinating. Why is it that NASA and ESA don't get a "the" but the Sun, Earth, Moon and USA do? Why does it always feel wrong when Apple doesn't use "the" before iPod, iPhone, etc?

0. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/pre...

“The” is not a preposition but a definite article.

Thanks! The rules for definite articles are also odd. Only very specific categories of proper nouns are articled. USA gets one because "of" is in the name. I think the categories of articled proper nouns is probably missing sports leagues, like the NFL and the NBA.

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/art...

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