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 topicOrbiting just 250 km above the surface of the Earth, GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) is the first Core Earth Explorer mission to be developed within ESA's Living Planet Programme. GOCE will provide the dataset required to accurately determine global and regional models of the Earth's gravity field and geoid, which will advance research in the areas of ocean circulation, physics of the Earth's interior, sea-level change and also make significant advances in the field of geodesy and surveying.