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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Envisat captured this image of the Japanese archipelago on 21 May 2006 with its Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument. Japan's four main islands, running from north to south, are Hokkaido (visible in the top right corner), Honshu (the visibly long island stretching in a northeast-southwest arc), Shikoku (visible just beneath the lower part of Honshu) and Kyushu (hidden by clouds).