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 topicESA's gravity mission
ESA's Earth Explorer GOCE mission was dedicated to map Earth's gravity with unrivalled precision and provided the most accurate model of the 'geoid' ever produced to further our understanding of how Earth works. After more than four years in orbit, the mission came to a natural end on 11 November 2013, but the wealth of data from GOCE continues to be exploited to improve our understanding of ocean circulation, sea level, ice dynamics, Earth’s interior and climate change.