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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This ASAR Global Monitoring Mode image acquired 1 September 2004 shows Hurricane Frances passing near the island of Puerto Rico. ASAR returns details of surface roughness from which wind and wave fields at the base of the hurricane can be derived. Although the resolution of this image is approximately 1 km, the eye is clear - because of tranquil weather prevailing within it, the water within it is smoother than that around it - plus the surrounding spiral structure of the eye wall, where the winds are fastest and sea roughest.