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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Despite current International Telecommunication Union rules on use of the electromagnetic spectrum, satellites sometimes suffer from interference – radio frequency interference, or RFI. This can be detrimental in a number of ways, including loss of data, risk of damage to the satellite receiver and biased or uncertain measurements. Satellite sensors can be affected by RFI in several frequency bands and over different parts of the world.
The animation shows the probability of interference across the globe between February 2023 and February 2024.
Read full story: Managing frequencies for Earth observation