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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Aircraft positions picked up by ESA's Proba-V minisatellite, using an experimental Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver. These signals are regularly broadcast from aircraft, giving flight information such as speed, position and altitude. All aircraft entering European airspace are envisaged to carry ADS-B in the coming years.
Proba-V has picked up upwards of 25 million positions from more than 15 000 separate aircraft. The DLR German Aerospace Center and SES team has identified more than 22 000 unique callsigns, identifying more than 15 000 aircraft by their unique International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) addresses (one aircraft can share a callsign with others, depending on the flight route).