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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Melbourne seen from the International Space Station at night reveals its young history. Unlike the winding streets of older cities, Melbourne’s streetlights follow a more planned grid system. Established in 1835 around the natural bay of Port Phillip, Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria in Australia.
The Nepean highway going south to Frankston circles the bay but stops at the Bass Strait. To the left is Geelong, 75 km south-west of Melbourne. The brightly-lit Point Henry is visible as a yellow triangle reaching out into Corio Bay.
This image was taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station with Nightpod in 2012. The Nightpod camera-stand tracks the movement of Earth passing under the Station at 28 800 km/h, keeping any target fixed in the middle of the viewfinder. Standard cameras fixed to Nightpod can use longer exposure times so that astronauts can take sharper pictures of cities at night.