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 focuses on MetOp-A, Europe's first polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational meteorology. The video explains that MetOp-A represents the European contribution to a new cooperative venture with the United States (NOAA) to provide data that will be used to monitor our climate and improve weather forecasting. A new generation of European instruments will be carried with a set of 'heritage' instruments provided by the U.S. They will augment the accuracy of: temperature and humidity measurements; wind speed and wind direction measurements; and profiles of ozone in the atmosphere. MetOp is a series of three satellites to be launched sequentially, starting in 2006 with MetOp-A, and forms the space segment of EUMETSAT's Polar System (EPS). ESA MetOp-A Project Manager Peter Edwards and EUMETSAT Programme Manager Marc Cohen both give soundbites, explaining various aspects of the mission. The satellite is shown in the clean room.