The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicRosetta’s VIRTIS instrument took this monochromatic view of the Moon in infrared light on 4 March 2005, before closest approach to Earth, from a distance of 400 000 kilometres and with a resolution of 100 kilometres per pixel. In this image, VIRTIS mainly saw the radiation emitted by the lunar surface, which is uniformly heated and independent on the solar illumination and on the latitude. This is visible in the white part of the image.