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 topicEl Niño is a huge temperature and sea level change in the Pacific Ocean. A giant pool of warm water moves from west to east, causing rainfall 10-40 times above average in South America. The European environmental satellite Envisat carries a pair of instruments ideally suited to detecting and mapping the up to 50 cm high plateau created by an El Niño event. These images, taken by the ERS-2 satellite, unveil the extent and the temperature changes (colour) that happened during the El Niño and the following La Niña effect from 1997 to 2000.