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 topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
This perspective view was taken by Mars Express during orbit 508 on 13 June 2004 with a ground resolution of approximately 40 metres per pixel.
The displayed region is the eastern part of Claritas Fossae and the western part of Solis Planum at longitude 260° East and latitude of about 28° South.
The diffuse blue-white streaks in the lower part of the scene are clouds or aerosols.
This region is characterised by systems of ‘grabens’ running mainly north-west to south-east. These can be traced several hundred kilometres up to the northern Tharsis shield volcanoes.