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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In 2006, the launch of MetOp-A marked a new era in operational meteorology. It was Europe’s first weather satellite to orbit Earth from pole to pole, just over 800 km high, complementing the long-standing series of Meteosat satellites that hover 36 000 km above the equator in geostationary orbit. The MetOp satellites are developed by ESA under a cooperation agreement to form the space segment of the Eumetsat Polar System. This system is Europe’s contribution to a multi-orbit polar system shared with the US NOAA agency. There are three identical satellites launched sequentially to ensure continuous observations of a host of atmospheric variables such as temperature, humidity, trace gases, ozone and wind speed over the ocean. These data are used largely for numerical weather prediction – the basis for weather forecasting. They also contribute to climate research. MetOp-B was launched in 2012 and MetOp-C launches in 2018.