ESA Observing the Earth

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.

Watch Sentinel-2A launch

Watch Sentinel-2A launch

Follow the launch event

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

Earth from Space

Call for Media: New applications for ESA’s SMOS mission

Media are invited to a press briefing on the scientific results and operational applications that continue to come from ESA’s water mission.

Earth Explorer 8

Earth Explorer 8

Catalan coast

Earth from Space

Ensuring the continuity of ocean topography data

ESA and Airbus Defence and Space today signed a €177 million contract to develop the Jason-CS / Sentinel-6A satellite mission for Europe’s Copernicus programme.

My Planet from Space

South Georgia Island

Earth from Space

Proba-V maps world air traffic from space

As ESA’s Proba-V works quietly on its main task of monitoring vegetation growth across Earth, the minisatellite is also picking up something from a little higher: signals from thousands of aircraft.

Dragon mountains

Join the virtual classroom

Registration is open for a free online course that provides an introduction to monitoring climate change using satellite Earth observation.

Land shifts in Nepal

Land shifts in Nepal

Nepal earthquake on the radar

On 25 April, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, claiming over 5000 lives and affecting millions of people. Satellite images are being used to support emergency aid organisations, while geo-scientists are using satellite measurements to analyse the effects of the earthquake on the land.

Revealing mountains hiding under ice

Results from a recent field campaign, which was organised to help investigate the potential of a new Earth observation mission concept, have provided a unique 3D glimpse of the peaks and troughs under the Mittelbergferner glacier in the Austrian Alps.

Satellites for our seas

Tracking El Niño

Florida

Preparing to launch ‘colour vision’ satellite

The latest satellite for the European Commission’s environmental Copernicus programme has arrived safe and sound in French Guiana for launch on 11 June. Carrying a multispectral imager, Sentinel-2A is set to give us a new perspective of our land and vegetation. 

Preparing to launch ‘colour vision’ satellite

The latest satellite for the European Commission’s environmental Copernicus programme has arrived safe and sound in French Guiana for launch on 12 June. Carrying a multispectral imager, Sentinel-2A is set to give us a new perspective of our land and vegetation. 

Meet Sentinel-2

Earth from Space

Happy Earth Day

Perseverance paves way for wind laser

Developing new satellite instruments is always challenging, but at times more head-scratching is needed to create something truly cutting-edge. ESA’s Aeolus mission may have caused a few headaches along the way, but its wind lasers are now ready and the task of putting the rest of the instrument together can begin for launch in 2016.