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 topicMarine pollution from crude oil becomes obvious when tanker accidents occur in the vicinity of the coast. But far more crude oil is dumped into the open ocean where tankers have nothing to fear from the authorities. That will change with ENVISAT. Its radar instrument can detect oil spills of less than a few hundred liters through the clouds on the surface of the ocean around the world, day and night. It is thereby possible to determine when ships on the high seas clean their tanks or if drilling platforms are leaking. ENVISAT can also find crude oil clusters which originate from the ocean floor and which indicate new oil deposits.