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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This computer-generated perspective view of a network of short valleys feeding Palos crater was created using data from the High-Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express. Taken during revolution 11497 and centred at around 3°S and 109°E, the image has a ground resolution of about 22 m per pixel. The valley’s U-shaped cross section is indicative of a process called groundwater sapping, whereby volcanic heat has melted subsurface ice, liberating water to the surface and causing the ground around it to collapse. The top left of the image is the periphery of a 100 km-wide crater.