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's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument acquired this image over Great Britain and Ireland on 7 February 2009. The island of Great Britain (on the east, or right), is largely covered by clouds but white patches of snow are also visible. Severe storms have been wreaking havoc on Britain since 2 February when the country was hit with the most widespread coverage of snow in nearly 20 years. The island of Ireland is visible in the lower left corner. This nearly cloud-free image over Ireland in the winter is rare because typical winter weather includes clouds and rain.