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 image was captured by Sentinel-2A on 5 August 2015 from over 780 km above Earth. It clearly picks out features such as Rotterdam harbour, patchworks of fields throughout the country, Amsterdam and Schiphol airport. The image also shows how the Enkhuizen–Lelystad dike separates the different concentrations of sediment and algae in the Markermeer and the IJsselmeer.
As part of Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme, Sentinel-2A carries an innovative wide swath high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of our land and vegetation. The combination of high resolution, novel spectral capabilities, a swath width of 290 km and frequent revisit times will provide unprecedented views of Earth. Its images will be used for numerous applications, including monitoring plant growth, mapping changes in land cover, monitoring forests and for detecting pollution in lakes and coastal waters. Sentinel-2A was launched on 23 June 2015.