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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MERIS reduced resolution image acquired on 28th of January 2004 during Envisat's ten thousandth orbit. Central Mexico and part of Texas, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico are displayed in this Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) image.
The town of Corpus Christi can just be perceived on the coast of the Gulf, just east of heavy cloud cover which masks the land from the Gulf to the western Sierra Madre mountains. Farther to the north, the urban areas of Houston and the port town of Galveston can be seen.