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 image from ESA’s Mars Express shows Aganippe Fossa, a fascinating groove at the foot of Mars’s colossal Arsia Mons volcano.
Labels have been placed across the image, highlighting features and regions of note. Be sure to click on these labels and zoom in to explore the landscape in detail!
This image comprises data gathered by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on 13 December 2023. It was created using data from the nadir channel, the field of view aligned perpendicular to the surface of Mars, and the colour channels of the HRSC. North is to the right. The ground resolution is approximately 25 m/pixel and the image is centred at about 3°S/233°E.
[Image description: This tan-coloured rectangle of Mars is bumpy and irregular in the left half, with numerous small mounds clustering together and a number of jagged grooves and ridges seen throughout. The right half of the frame is smoother and marked by zebra-like stripes, a result of windblown dust. A dark scar, reminiscent of a dashed line, emerges from the bottom-middle of the image and arcs round to the middle-right.]