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 topicThis artist’s impression shows a sketch of Earth's magnetosphere (in blue), embedded in the flow of the solar wind.
Due to the interaction of permanently incoming solar wind (coming from the left of the figure) with Earth's magnetosphere, a permanent collisionless shock called the bow shock (depicted by the yellow arc) is formed. The bow shock forms in front of the nose of the magnetopause – the external boundary layer of the magnetosphere.