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
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Scientists from Scripps Institute of Oceanography at University California San Diego used altimetry measurements from ESA’s CryoSat mission and from the CNES–NASA Jason-1 satellite to create a new marine gravity map – twice as accurate as the previous version produced nearly 20 years ago. CryoSat’s main task is to measure the elevation of the world’s ice but its altimetry measurements acquired over oceans measure sea-surface height, and this can be used to create global marine gravity models and, from them, eventually derive maps of the seafloor. The new gravity map exposes thousands of previously unchartered seamounts, ridges and deep ocean structures. Read full article.