Monitoring the Earth - Envisat, image of Europe

Since observing the Earth from space became possible more than 40 years ago, satellite missions have become central to monitoring and learning about how the Earth works.

In 1975 the European Space Agency, ESA, was set up to provide for and promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes, cooperation among European states in space research and technology and their space applications. A wealth of missions has been launched to bring us a better understanding of the Universe, our Solar System and our fragile and unique planet