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
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The Niger river captured from the International Space Station on 22 October 2023 by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen. When Andreas shared the picture on social media, he said:
"I tried, unsuccessfully, to take a photo of Timbuktu, a city in Mali on the edge of the Saharan desert. Instead, I ended up with this picture, which puzzled me. It looks like a river delta, but I didn’t know such a thing could exist inland, far from the sea. It turns out that it is an inland river delta and that it is an unusual feature of the Niger River. It is the main river in West Africa, running through several countries like Guinea, Nigeria and acts like the border between Benin and Niger, providing a key source for travel and food in the region.
It is impressive to see this rich, green wetlands in the middle of the dry, brown Saharan desert that surrounds it."
Visit Huginn mission page to learn more about Andreas' mission.