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 colour-coded topographic image shows a region of Mars known as Australe Scopuli, in the south polar region of the planet. The area is rich in features resulting from the arrival of spring and the retreat of the ice cap.
The image was created from data collected by ESA’s Mars Express on 2 April 2024 (orbit 25569) and is based on a digital terrain model of the region, from which the topography of the landscape can be derived. Lower parts of the surface are shown in blues and purples, while higher altitude regions are red, as indicated on the scale at the top right.
North is to the top-right. The ground resolution is approximately 16 m/pixel and the image is centred at about 265°E/85°S.
[Image description: A topography map of a region of Mars colour coded according to relative heights. The scale goes from red (highest terrain) through yellow, green, blue and purple (lowest terrain).]