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 22 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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Europe's first weather satellite was Meteosat 1, launched in 1977 and followed by six further Meteosats. This series of geostationary satellites was built by ESA and later operated by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), an intergovernmental organisation of 18 European states created in 1986.
In 2002,the first Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite, a more advanced design, entered service as Meteosat-8. A second MSG was launched in December 2005.