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 topicSMOS' MIRAS instrument is really a radio telescope looking down instead of up to gather faint microwave signals of Earth's land and sea surface. These signals are picked up by 69 separate receivers then precisely combined together using a method called interferometry to resolve a detailed image. To prevent electrical interference blurring the final image MIRAS designers turned to optical fibres - using light pulses to transmit information rather than electrical signals, they produce no electromagnetic radiation. There are more than 500 metres of optical fibres embedded within the MIRAS instrument.