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
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
Sentinel-1B arrived in French Guiana on 8 March 2016. Over the next weeks the satellite will be prepared for liftoff on a Soyuz rocket. Sentinel-1B will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, in orbit around Earth to offer ‘radar vision’ for Europe’s environmental Copernicus initiative. As a constellation of two satellites orbiting 180° apart, revisit times and global coverage are optimised. The mission is used to monitor many aspects of our environment, from detecting and tracking oil spills and mapping sea ice to monitoring movement in land surfaces and mapping changes in the way land is used. It will also play a crucial role in providing timely information to help respond to natural disasters and assist humanitarian relief efforts.