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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Carrying an advanced radar, Sentinel-1 can image Earth’s surface no matter what the weather and regardless of whether it is day or night. This makes it an ideal mission for monitoring the polar regions, which are shrouded in darkness for months at a time. As well as providing information on changing ice cover and glacial flows, Sentinel-1 will provide imagery of sea-ice for maritime navigation in polar waters. Sentinel-1 will also be used to track changes in the way land is used and to monitor ground movement. Moreover, this new mission is designed specifically for fast response to aid emergencies and disasters such as flooding and earthquakes. Sentinel-1, the first in the family of satellites for Europe’s environmental monitoring Copernicus programme, marks a new era in Earth observation, focusing on operational missions to support users for decades to come.