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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This Envisat image, acquired on 4 October, features the island of Iceland covered in the first snow of the 2008 winter. More than 11 percent of the island is covered by glaciers. The Vatnajokull glacier, the largest glacier in Europe, is located in the southeast where the white area is more prominent. Reykjavik, the country’s capital, is located in the southwest - slightly inland from the boot-shaped peninsula on the bottom left that extends out into the Atlantic Ocean. Brilliant colours of blue-green are visible swirling in the waters off the south and western coasts. These are caused by large concentrations of phytoplankton, which form the basis of the ocean's food chain and have an essential role in the global ecosystem.