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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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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Launched on 5 September 2024 on a Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the Copernicus Sentinel-2C satellite has delivered its first images. These spectacular views of Earth offer a sneak peek at the data that this new satellite will provide for Copernicus – Europe’s world-leading Earth observation programme.
One of the images, captured on 13 September, features Lighthouse Reef, part of the large coral reef system off the coast of Belize in Central America. Here the famous Great Blue Hole can be seen – a giant marine sinkhole.
Zoom in to explore the image at full 10 m resolution.
Read full story: Sentinel-2C delivers stunning first images