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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Thanks to its mapping of the Martian surface, the OMEGA instrument on board ESA's Mars Express has identified clay beds which may have supported the development of life in the past, between 4.5 and 4.2 thousand millions years ago. So, these findings provide exciting sites for future Mars rovers to explore.
The background image shown here is a perspective false-colour view of the Mawrth Vallis region on Mars, derived from the HRSC instrument (ESA/DLR/FU Berlin - G. Neukum) onboard Mars Express. The artist's impression of a possible future rover is superimposed on top.