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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The red and blue dots show values of mean sea level (MSL) measured with respect to national datums in the US and Canada (red and blue, respectively). These data indicate that the height of the sea increases travelling north from Florida to Canada. However, most modern numerical models of ocean circulation (black dots) suggest that the slope of the sea should actually decrease travelling north and can be explained by the effects of the Gulf Stream in this region of the Atlantic Ocean. The new geoid from ESA’s GOCE gravity mission has resolved this long-debated mystery by providing conclusive proof that the height of the sea does, indeed, drop (yellow dots).