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 topicThe amount of water in the soil and salinity of the oceans may not seem connected, but, in fact, they are both key variables linked to the global water cycle. Variations in soil moisture and ocean salinity are a consequence of the continuous exchange of water between the oceans, the atmosphere and the land Earth's water cycle, which not only sustains life on Earth but also plays an important role in weather and climate. SMOS, due for launch this 2 November from the russian Cosmodrome of Plesetsk, will be the first satellite mission producing global maps of soil moisture and ocean salinity on a regular basis.