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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ESA’s Earth Explorer FLEX mission will yield information about the health of the world’s plants by measuring a faint florescence glow they give off as they photosynthesise. Importantly, the signal, which is invisible to the naked eye, varies according to environmental conditions and the health of the plant – and, therefore, if measured, can be used to assess plant health and stress.
The information gathered by FLEX will be used to improve our understanding of how carbon moves between plants and the atmosphere and how photosynthesis affects the carbon and water cycles. The mission will also give us better insight into plant health, which is especially important since Earth’s growing population is placing increasing demands on the production of food and animal feed.