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 infographic shows 35 years (1981–2016) of fluctuations in annual sea surface temperature across the globe. The dataset used reveals a 0.51°C increase in temperature over this period, represented by the darkest blue colour tones at the lower end and yellow tone at the upper. A sharp increase in global sea surface temperature is noticeable towards the end of the dataset – hence the yellow 'halo' that can be seen.
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