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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Melas Chasma is part of the huge Valles Marineris rift valley, which stretches for more than 4000 km across the face of Mars. Melas Chasma itself sinks 9 km below the surrounding surface, making it one of the lowest depressions on Mars. This image was created using a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) obtained from the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft. Elevation data from the DTM are colour-coded: purple indicates the lowest-lying regions, and beige the highest elevations. The scale is in metres.