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 topicTraces of the disc surrounding our Solar System. The blue band curving across this image is created by the dust disc surrounding our Solar System. Viewed from afar this would show up as a bright ring surrounding the Sun.
The bright band running across the centre of the image is from dust in our Galaxy.
This image, taken by the COBE satellite, is a composite of three far-infrared wavelengths (60, 100, and 240 microns).
(Photo: Michael Hauser (Space Telescope Science Institute), the COBE/DIRBE Science Team, and NASA)