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 topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
Each Sentinel-3 satellite carries four instruments that work in synergy top provide systematic measurements of Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere. These measurements will be used to monitor and understand large-scale global dynamics and will be used for ocean and weather forecasting.
The Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) delivers high accuracy temperature readings of Earth’s surface at a spatial resolution of 500 m for visible/near-infrared and short-wavelength infrared channels and at 1 km for the thermal infrared channels. It includes two channels for monitoring wildfires. The medium-resolution Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) has 21 bands and a spatial resolution of 300 m per pixel to map changing land cover and to monitor ocean biology and water quality. The dual-frequency advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar Altimeter (SRAL) measures sea-surface height, ocean surface waves, sea-ice extent and the height of large inland rivers and lakes. The Microwave Radiometer (MWR) is used to correct measurements from the radar altimeter affected by water vapour in the atmosphere.