ESA Observing the Earth

Changing lands

Marajó

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Sahara snow

Space helps forests regenerate

Many of us probably think of trees during the festive season more than any other time of the year. With Christmas trees now discarded and decorations packed away, we will be turning our attention back to daily life. The task of cultivating and regenerating forests, however, is a year-long concern – but one that can be made easier and cheaper thanks to satellites and cloud-computing.

Sea and air connected

Reindeer Island

Earth from space

Tracking aerosols

Orange County

Earth from Space

Accessing Copernicus data made easier

Thanks to the European Union’s Copernicus programme, vast quantities of satellite data are freely available to manage the environment and benefit European citizens. While this offers a wealth of opportunities, downloading and storing these data involves some complex logistical challenges – but this is about to change.

Earth from Space

CO2 and oceans

California in flames

Toulouse

Earth from Space

Bali volcano

Bali volcano

Sentinel-5P brings air pollution into focus

Launched on 13 October, the Sentinel-5P satellite has delivered its first images of air pollution. Even though the satellite is still being prepared for service, these first results have been hailed as exceptional and show how this latest Copernicus satellite is set to take the task of monitoring air quality into a new era.

Amazon River

Earth from Space

Taking air-quality inventories to new heights

The first images from Sentinel-5P will be revealed tomorrow. Although it will be a few months before the satellite is ready for service, these first results are expected to show just how this new Copernicus mission is set to be a game changer for monitoring air quality.

Sentinel-5P first results

Thurston Island

Earth from Space

Forty years of Meteosat

ESA’s first Earth observation satellite was launched on 23 November 1977. When the first Meteosat satellite took its place in the sky, it completed coverage of the whole globe from geostationary orbit and laid the foundations for European and world cooperation in meteorology that continues today.

International Charter wins prestigious Pecora Award

The International Charter Space and Major Disasters has received a distinguished award for providing free satellite imagery, data and information to the global community during times of crises.

Call for Media

Salar de Atacama

Earth from Space

Two new Earth Explorer concepts to understand our rapidly changing world

ESA has chosen two concepts, FORUM and SKIM, to be developed further and compete to be the ninth Earth Explorer mission.

Ozone ups and downs

Climate scientists studying three decades of ozone measurements from seven satellites see a positive trend in global recovery thanks to international efforts to curb ozone-depleting substances.

Viti Levu

Earth from Space

Three years of Sentinel-1

Shared vision strengthens Europe’s space strategy

Working together for three decades, ESA and Eumetsat have been instrumental in positioning Europe as a leader in observing Earth from space. Continuing to share a vision, the two organisations have signed a statement that will strengthen Europe in meteorology and climate monitoring, and that will help to take the Copernicus programme into the future.

Smallsats win big prize at Copernicus Masters

A constellation of small satellites that provide data on Earth’s ice and soil moisture content to complement the Sentinel fleet took the top prize at this year’s Copernicus Masters Competition.

Satellites guide ships in icy waters through the cloud

In late August, the 60 m-long US Coast Guard Cutter Maple completed its navigation through the Arctic’s ice-ridden Northwest Passage. While this was not the first time ships had taken this route, it was the first time that the International Ice Patrol had provided iceberg information based exclusively on satellite imagery.

Satellites guide ships in icy waters through the cloud

In late August, the 60 m-long US Coast Guard Cutter Maple completed its navigation through the Arctic’s ice-ridden Northwest Passage. While this was not the first time ships had taken this route, it was the first time that the International Ice Patrol had provided iceberg information based exclusively on satellite imagery.

Nearly four decades of soil moisture data now available

A new, long-term and global dataset of soil moisture measurements from space has been released to help us better understand the water cycle and climate, monitor agriculture and manage our water resources.

Western Australia

Earth from Space

Wind satellite vacuum packed

With liftoff on the horizon, ESA’s Aeolus satellite is going through its last round of tests to make sure that this complex mission will work in orbit. Over the next month, it is sitting in a large chamber that has had all the air sucked out to simulate the vacuum of space.

Sentinel-5P timelapse

Ready to reap the benefits from Copernicus Sentinel-5P

Now that Sentinel-5P is safely in orbit, engineers have started commissioning the satellite for the task of delivering extremely high-quality information on air quality. Meanwhile, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service is poised to ensure we all reap the benefits from this latest mission.

Halloween crack

Melting snow aids absorption of carbon dioxide

It appears that something good can come from something bad. Although rising global temperatures are causing seasonal snow cover to melt earlier in the spring, this allows for the snow-free boreal forests to absorb more carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.

Washington DC

Earth from Space

Sentinel-1 sees through hurricanes

This year’s Atlantic hurricane season has been a harsh reminder of the grief and devastation brought by these vast storms. Imaging the top of hurricanes from space is nothing new, but the Sentinel-1 satellites can see right through these towering spinning weather systems, measuring the sea surface below to help predict the storm’s path.

Weather and climate

Sagaing Division

Earth from Space

Ireland signs up to Copernicus Sentinel agreement

ESA and Enterprise Ireland have signed an agreement that gives Ireland access to data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and helps Ireland to exploit these data to benefit their country.

Watching Ophelia

ESA takes the reins of the Disasters Charter

When disaster strikes, a group of international space agencies pools its resources and expertise to support relief efforts on the ground. For the next six months, ESA will be leading the International Charter Space and Major Disasters as it brings information from satellites to the aid of the vulnerable. 

Sentinel-5P: health satellite in excellent health

Launched last week, Europe’s Sentinel-5P satellite – the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring the air we breathe – is in excellent health.

Sentinel-5P: satellite in excellent health

Launched last week, Europe’s Sentinel-5P satellite – the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring the air we breathe – is in excellent health.

Sustenance from sands

Revisit the launch event

Air quality-monitoring satellite in orbit

The first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere, Sentinel‑5P, has been launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.

Sentinel-5P liftoff

Liftoff replay

Plesetsk, Russia

Hurricane Ophelia

California fires

Sentinel-5P data

Sentinel-5P services

Follow the launch event

Follow the launch event

Secrets of hidden ice canyons revealed

We are all aware that Antarctica’s ice shelves are thinning, but recently scientists have also discovered huge canyons cutting through the underbelly of these shelves, potentially making them even more fragile. Thanks to the CryoSat and Sentinel-1 missions, new light is being shed on this hidden world.

Ready to assume control of Sentinel-5P

Mission controllers completed a critical final rehearsal today, confirming that everything and everyone on ground are ready to take over control of Sentinel-5P in the harsh environment of space.

Sentinel-5P poised for liftoff

With four days to liftoff, the next Sentinel satellite is now on the launch pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.

Larsen Ice Shelf

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Sentinel-5P sealed from view

As preparations for the launch of Sentinel-5P continue on track, the team at Russia’s Plesetsk site has bid farewell to the satellite as it was sealed from view in the Rockot fairing. Liftoff is set for 13 October at 09:27 GMT (11:27 CEST).

Ideas wanted in science for society

ESA is offering over 100 opportunities for industry, start-ups and scientific institutions to develop innovative ideas that bring Earth observation science closer to society.

Africa, classified

From the barren Sahara to lush jungles, the first high-resolution map classifying land cover types on the entire African continent has been released. The map was created using a year’s worth of data from the Sentinel-2A satellite.

Eye on air quality

Nordenskiold Glacier

Earth from Space

Mapping the seafloor

Virtual classroom

Earth from Space

Preparing to fly Sentinel-5P

The teams that will fly Sentinel-5P are training intensively for launch, ensuring that everyone knows their job and can react to any emergency.

Call for Media

Call for Media

Marine chlorophyll

Call for new Earth Explorer mission ideas

As part of ESA’s commitment to realise new satellite missions that advance our understanding of Earth, benefit society and demonstrate innovative space technologies, a call is now open for new Earth Explorer ideas.

Call for new Earth Explorer mission ideas

As part of ESA’s commitment to realise new satellite missions that advance our understanding of Earth, benefit society and demonstrate innovative space technologies, a call is now open for new Earth Explorer ideas.

Sentinel-5P satellite fuelled

Engineers have been at Russia’s Plesetsk launch site for a month now, ticking off the jobs on the ‘to do’ list so that the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite is fit and ready for liftoff on 13 October. With the satellite now fuelled, the team has passed another milestone.

Watch live: EO Open Science

Watch live

Northwest England

Earth from Space

Giant berg on the move

Giant berg on the move

Flat land

Mapping the world’s forests

Using satellite radar data, scientists have created a global map that quantifies the amount of wood in our forests – a key to understanding Earth’s carbon cycle and, ultimately, climate change.

Earth from Space

Meet Sentinel-5P

Travel app wins top prize at App Camp

An app that uses satellite imagery to give flight travellers an interactive, bird’s-eye view of their routes took the top prize at this year’s Space App Camp at ESA’s centre in Frascati, Italy.

Travel app wins top prize at App Camp

An app that uses satellite imagery to give flight travellers an interactive, bird’s-eye view of their routes took the top prize at this year’s Space App Camp at ESA’s centre in Frascati, Italy.

Join us for #Sentinel5P launch

Are you passionate about our planet and interested in how satellites help to improve everyday lives and do you share your passion via social media? Then ESA’s next SocialSpace event is for you.

Join us for #Sentinel5P launch

Are you passionate about our planet and interested in how satellites help to improve everyday lives and do you share your passion via social media? Then ESA’s next SocialSpace event is for you.

App Camp wrap-up

Earth through different eyes

In the 1960s, photographs of Earth taken by the first astronauts captured the imaginations of people across the world. The pictures not only became icons for space exploration, but also the fragility of our planet. But astronauts were not the only ones with their eyes on Earth.

Syracuse

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Sentinel-5P launch preparations in full swing

With liftoff set for 13 October, engineers at Russia’s Plesetsk launch site are steaming ahead with the task of getting Europe’s next Copernicus satellite ready for its journey into orbit.

Burn scars

Earth from Space

First day of camp

Petermann Glacier