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
Go to topicThis video highlights the role of Europe's weather satellites, 25 years after Meteosat -- the first European weather satellite -- was launched on 23 November 1977. Images from the series of six Meteosats have since become a daily feature of TV news and weather forecasting. It explains that better weather forecasts have gone hand-in-hand with advancements in computer technology and numerical modelling. EUMETSAT took over the Meteosat satellites in 1986. MSG is introduced as the next generation of weather satellites, being twice the size of its predecessor and 20 times as accurate. MSG-1 is shown lifting off from Kourou. Darmstadt's ESOC is then shown as it takes over operations of the satellte. The MetOp series of satellites is then introduced. The video gives an overview of the many ways weather data are used: forecasts, transport infrastructure, predicting paths of hurricanes and forest fires and rescue operations during and after floods.