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 topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
This image, acquired by Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument on 16 March 2009, highlights a cloud-free southern Europe, with Spain (lower left), France (centre), Switzerland (upper right) and Italy (lower right) all visible. Four mountain chains are clearly distinguishable in the image owing to their snow-capped tips – the Alps, Jura, Pyrenees and Massif Central. The western portion of the Alps is visible (bottom right) on the border of France and Italy. The Jura Mountains, northwest of the Alps, are also snow covered. The Pyrenees (bottom left) form the natural border between France and Spain (with the country of Andorra in between). Massif Central (centre, northeast of Pyrenees) is France’s third largest mountain range after the Alps and Pyrenees.