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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In order to give a feeling of scale, this artist impression of the Rosetta spacecraft is superimposed on an OSIRIS wide-angle camera image of the region in which it landed on 30 September 2016. Also marked on the image are the approximate locations of the final two images taken by the spacecraft from around 20 m altitude. The cross indicates the estimated centre of touchdown of Rosetta.
The background image measures about 55 m across, while the final images are about 1 m across. For comparison, Rosetta measures 32 m from tip to tip, and its solar panels are a little more than 2 m high each.
Note that the positioning of the spacecraft on the image is not an accurate representation of the actual landing.