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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In celebration of the fact that the end of this month marks the first anniversay of Envisat since its launch last year the ESA TV Service transmits 2 programmes. This first programme provides an updated general overview of the Envisat mission. It includes images of launch, instruments and graphics of their function as well as examples the data they produce.
The programme comprises of a 7-minute A-Roll with split audio (english commentary/international sound and is complimented by a B-roll with clean international sound.
00:40 Our planets rapid population growth and widespread industrialisation have triggered increasing environmental problems. The destruction of ever greater parts of the biosphere by natural disasters and accidents has had fatal consequences. The impact of sudden floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions wreak greater havoc than ever on human populations.
01:05 It has prompted a global search by scientists for a greater understanding of the reasons and mechanisms for environmental change and natural disasters. The hope is that, one day, a greater understanding of the complex interactions of natural processes might make it possible to forecast natural disasters - in a way similar to today's weather forecasting.
01:28 Satellite observation is the key for environmental research. Since the early 1990s, the European Space Agency ESA has been operating two Earth observation satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2. They have delivered thousands of images of earthquakes and soil movement, of the ozone hole and of polluti