ESA Observing the Earth

At it again

ESA’s fourth Space App Camp starts on Monday, with 23 professional app developers from all across Europe at the Agency's facility in Frascati, Italy.

Apps Happening

ESA’s fourth Space App Camp starts on Monday, with 23 professional app developers from all across Europe at the Agency's facility in Frascati, Italy.

Avezzano chequerboard

Earth from Space

My Planet from Space exhibition draws special visitor

The My Planet from Space: Fragility and Beauty exhibition in New York, USA, drew to a close yesterday with a ceremony attended by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN.

Sentinel-2 catches eye of algal storm

The Sentinel-2A satellite has been in orbit for only a matter of weeks, but new images of an algal bloom in the Baltic Sea show that it is already exceeding expectations. Built essentially as a land monitoring mission, Sentinel-2 will also certainly find its way into marine applications.

Australian desert

Spaceship Earth

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Chasing ice

Satellite images show that the fastest moving glacier in the world shed a chunk of ice measuring around 12.5 sq km this week – one of the most significant calving events on record.

Myanmar inundated

Help wanted on tracking biodiversity from space

Conservation organisations and space agencies are being called on to join forces to decide how changes in biodiversity can be monitored globally. What, exactly, should be measured by satellites?

Sentinels catch traffic jam

Low water levels in the Danube river have left ships to queue close to the town of Zimnicea in Romania.

First MSG-4 image

Northern Italy

Earth from Space

Surfing for science

Thanks to a new system developed by scientists in the UK, taking to the waves for a spot of surfing can benefit research into the health of coastal waters, and could help confirm satellite measurements of sea-surface temperature.

Surfing for science

Thanks to a new system developed by scientists in the UK, taking to the waves for a spot of surfing can benefit research into the health of coastal waters, and could help confirm satellite measurements of sea-surface temperature.

First applications from Sentinel-2A

From agricultural monitoring to charting changing lands, early images from Europe’s new Sentinel-2A satellite show how the ‘colour vision’ mission’s critical observations can be used to keep us and our planet safe.

Introducing Sentinel-2

Introducing Sentinel-2

ESA hands over control of the MSG-4 weather satellite

On 26 July at 11:30 CEST, ESA handed control of Europe’s last Meteosat Second Generation weather satellite, MSG-4, to EUMETSAT

ESA hands over control of the MSG-4 weather satellite

On 26 July at 09:30 GMT (11:30 CEST), ESA handed control of Europe’s last Meteosat Second Generation weather satellite, MSG-4, to EUMETSAT

ESA hands over control of the MSG-4 weather satellite

On 26 July at 09:30 GMT (11:30 CEST), ESA handed control of Europe’s last Meteosat Second Generation weather satellite, MSG-4, to EUMETSAT.

Searching for underground energy sources from space

Data from ESA’s GOCE gravity satellite are being used to improve models of Earth’s geology, indicating the potential locations of subsurface energy sources.

Southern Bavaria

Earth from Space

Gabon on the radar

Mapping forest biomass from space poses a huge technical challenge, but ESA is building a new satellite to do just that. To make sure its novel measuring technique is accurate over a wide range of forest types, scientists headed over to Gabon in Central Africa.

Blooming jellyfish

Cool summer boosts Arctic ice

Measurements from ESA’s CryoSat satellite show that the volume of Arctic sea ice increased by a third following the unusually cool summer of 2013. This new finding suggests that ice in the northern hemisphere is more sensitive to changes in summer melting than it is to winter cooling.

Call for Media

New York City

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Full launch coverage

Launch replay

Launch replay

Launch replay

MSG-4 liftoff

MSG-4 liftoff

MSG-4 liftoff

MSG-4 liftoff

MSG-4 in orbit

Europe’s MSG-4 weather satellite delivered into orbit

The last weather satellite in Europe’s highly successful Meteosat Second Generation series lifted off on an Ariane 5 launcher at 21:42 GMT (23:42 CEST) on 15 July from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Europe’s MSG-4 weather satellite delivered into orbit

The last weather satellite in Europe’s highly successful Meteosat Second Generation series lifted off on an Ariane 5 launcher at 21:42 GMT (23:42 CEST) on 15 July from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Watch MSG-4 launch

MSG-4 launch timeline

On 15 July, a powerful Ariane launcher will loft Europe’s final Meteosat Second Generation weather satellite into orbit from Kourou, French Guiana. For the mission control team at ESA, liftoff will mark the end of months of careful preparations and the start of the mission’s first critical phase.

Preparing for launch

Preparing for launch

Central Algeria

Earth from Space

ESA teams ready for Europe’s next weather satellite

Ground control teams are ready to shepherd Europe’s next weather satellite through its critical first days in orbit, ensuring it is working and healthy in the harsh environment of space.

My Planet from Space

My Planet from Space

Northwest Sardinia

Earth from Space

SMOS sings the song of ice and fire

While ESA’s water mission continues to deliver key information on soil moisture and ocean salinity to advance our understanding of Earth, it is becoming increasingly important for ‘real world’ applications, further demonstrating the societal benefit of Earth observation.

Ice mountains

First ‘colour vision’

Reports on Earth Explorer candidates CarbonSat and FLEX now available

As a critical input to the decision-making process that will lead to the selection of ESA’s eighth Earth Explorer mission, the Reports for Mission Selection of the two candidate opportunity missions – CarbonSat and FLEX – are now available.

Sentinel-2 delivers first images

Just four days after being lofted into orbit, Europe’s Sentinel-2A satellite delivered its first images of Earth, offering a glimpse of the ‘colour vision’ that it will provide for the Copernicus environmental monitoring programme.

First ‘colour vision’

First ‘colour vision’

First ‘colour vision’

First ‘colour vision’

Sentinel-2A completes critical first days in space

Last night marked the end of Sentinel-2A's first three days in space, which saw teams on the ground working around the clock to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its 'colour vision' mission.

Central California

Earth from Space

Revisit the launch event

Full launch coverage

Second Copernicus environmental satellite safely in orbit

The ESA-developed Sentinel satellite – Sentinel-2A – was launched today, adding a high-resolution optical imaging capability to the European Union Copernicus environmental monitoring system.

Second Sentinel in orbit

Second Copernicus environmental satellite safely in orbit

The ESA-developed Sentinel satellite – Sentinel-2A – was launched today, adding a high-resolution optical imaging capability to the European Union Copernicus environmental monitoring system.

Sentinel-2A liftoff

Sentinel-2A liftoff

Launch replay

Launch replay

Launch replay

Liftoff replay

Magnetic complexity begins to untangle

After a year in orbit, the three Swarm satellites have provided a first glimpse inside Earth and started to shed new light on the dynamics of the upper atmosphere – all the way from the ionosphere about 100 km above, through to the outer reaches of our protective magnetic shield.

Sentinel-2 launch timeline

On 23 June, a Vega launcher will loft the first of ESA's dual Sentinel-2 satellites into orbit from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou. For the mission control team, liftoff will mark the end of many months of careful preparations and the start of the mission's first critical phase.

Follow the launch event

Watch Sentinel-2A launch

Watch Sentinel-2A launch

Follow the launch event

Final days on Earth

San Francisco Bay Area

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Australia teams up with Europe’s Earth observation community

ESA and Australia’s CSIRO national research organisation have signed an agreement which will give Australia better access to information from Europe’s Earth-observing satellites, while ESA will benefit from Australia’s scientific expertise.

Sentinels to serve

Sentinels to serve

Sentinel-2A poised high

With less than a week to liftoff, the next Sentinel satellite for the Copernicus environmental monitoring programme is now in position high up in the launch tower at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Sentinel-3 strips off

Building a satellite is a complex business, most of which goes on in the confines of a cleanroom. This new animation shows the upcoming Sentinel-3 satellite stripped bare, revealing its inner glory – a view normally only granted to the engineers responsible for piecing together this extraordinary technology.

Worldwide water quality app hits the web

Former Copernicus Masters competition winner EOMAP has launched the first harmonised, high-resolution inland water quality monitoring service based on satellite data.

Sampit, Indonesia

Earth from Space

Wetland management on the radar

An ESA project focuses on exploiting satellite radar data to monitor wetlands for sustainable water management.

Sweden signs up for Sentinel data

With the second Copernicus-dedicated Sentinel satellite less than two weeks away from launch, ESA and Sweden have signed an arrangement on managing and accessing Sentinel data.

Sentinel-2A sealed from view

As preparations for the launch of Sentinel-2A continue on track, the team at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has said farewell to the satellite as it was sealed from view in the Vega rocket fairing. Liftoff is set for 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST; 22:52 local time on 22 June).

Sentinel-2A sealed from view

As preparations for the launch of Sentinel-2A continue on track, the team at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has said farewell to the satellite as it was sealed from view in the Vega rocket fairing. Liftoff is set for 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST; 22:52 local time on 22 June).

Nearing launch

Sentinel-1 brings radar remote sensing to new level

With frequent observations from the year-old Sentinel-1A radar satellite scientists are improving the remote sensing technique to map ground deformation, opening new doors for earthquake and volcano monitoring.

Looking for litter

World Oceans Day

Tianjin

Earth from Space

Chasing polar winds with lasers

Preparing for the launch of ESA’s Aeolus wind satellite next year, scientists from Europe and the US recently teamed up in Iceland to measure the wind over the North Atlantic.

New launch date set for Sentinel-2A

The second satellite in Europe’s Copernicus programme is set for launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST 23 June; 22:52 local time 22 June).

Call for abstracts

Watch: Climate Symposium

Watch: Climate Symposium

Help bring satellite data down to Earth

App developers from across Europe are invited to apply for this year’s Space App Camp.

Saint George Basin

Climate Symposium

And the winner is…

Cambodian rivers

CryoSat detects sudden ice loss in Southern Antarctic Peninsula

A recent acceleration in ice loss in a previously stable region of Antarctica has been detected by ESA’s ice mission.

SMOS mission highlights