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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Twenty years ago, on the night of 3 July 2003, ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft was pointed backwards to obtain this breathtaking view of the Earth-Moon system from a distance of eight million km while on its way to Mars.
This image was the first picture of a planetary object taken by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). Although the spatial resolution was low at this great distance, the picture gave a good indication of what to expect from Mars Express in its orbit around Mars.
Today, after more than 24 000 orbits around the Red Planet the camera is still in good health and mapping Mars in colour and in stereo!
Read the original 2003 press release about this image here.