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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After years of painstaking detective work, Planck’s science team has extracted and analysed the foreground emissions that lie between us and the Universe’s first light to reveal the CMB in the highest detail yet. The main image shown here is Planck’s first all-sky map released in 2010, highlighting emission from the Milky Way with hints of the mottled CMB behind. Underneath are progressively more detailed views of the CMB from Planck’s predecessors, NASA’s COBE and WMAP missions. The much-awaited CMB image from Planck will be unveiled on 21 March 2013.