ESA Observing the Earth

Building Radar takes home the Copernicus Masters

Yesterday evening members of the international Earth observation industry came together at the ddb Forum in Berlin, for the 2015 Copernicus Masters Awards Ceremony.

Climate Cube in Paris

Space tools for Earth

Deep blue Red Sea reefs

Earth from Space

Sentinel-3A shows off

Before the latest satellite for Copernicus is packed up and shipped to the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia for launch at the end of the year, the media and specialists were given the chance to see this next-generation mission centre-stage in the cleanroom.

Launch of Earth observation open science 2.0

How can Earth observation research explore the new challenges and opportunities created by the rapid advances in information and communications technologies? 

Monitoring refugee camps

Live: Science 2.0

Call for media

Portuguese wonders

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

Tracking wildfires

Agreement signed

Berlin celebration

Berlin celebration

Earth from Space

Call for Media

SMOS meets ocean monsters

ESA’s SMOS and two other satellites are together providing insight into how surface winds evolve under tropical storm clouds in the Pacific Ocean. This new information could to help predict extreme weather at sea.

Shaping next-generation scientists

With the new Earth observation satellites carrying a range of technologies such as radar and multispectral imaging instruments for land, ocean and atmospheric monitoring, data are available for the next 20–30 years. However, this means little unless there are capable people handling them. 

Maritime security

Big shake next for air pollution satellite

The launch of Sentinel-5 Precursor is planned for next spring so the satellite is being put through its paces to make sure it is fit for liftoff and life in orbit tracking air pollution. Vibration and acoustic tests are next up.

Athens in colour

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

What hAPPened?

Using satellites to predict plant and crop diseases is just one of the fresh ideas produced over a week-long camp dedicated to creating mobile apps using Earth observation data.

Quake on the radar

Mississippi swampland

Earth Explorer UCM replay

Watch the replay

Earth from Space

Live from Krakow

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.

Watch Sentinel-2A launch

Follow the launch event

Follow the launch event

Watch Sentinel-2A launch

Final days on Earth