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
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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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Lava once flowed down the flanks of the Olympus Mons volcano, spilling out onto the surrounding plains. Here, the paths of numerous individual lava flows can be seen curving around natural obstacles and cascading like waterfalls over cliff edges.
Random pointed and flat-topped blocks protrude from the flank edges, rotated or uplifted as the sides of the volcano collapsed.
Only a few very faint traces of ancient lava channels can be seen in the surrounding plain, which was flooded by a later outpouring of lava.
The image was taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera onESA’s Mars Express on 21 January 2013 (orbit 11524), with a ground resolution of approximately 17 m per pixel. The image centre is located at approximately 14°N / 229°E.