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!
Radar allows us to see through what would otherwise be invisible. By sending out radio waves that bounce off objects and return as echoes, radar creates a detailed picture of our surrounding world.
This technology is everywhere: from guiding air traffic and enabling self-driving cars to tracking the movements of athletes. But its reach doesn’t stop there—radar is also transforming how we observe our Earth from space.
Satellites like the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission use radar to see through clouds, darkness and any weather conditions. This capability is invaluable for detecting subtle changes on Earth’s surface—changes that are often hidden from the human eye. Discover how radar technology is helping us unlock these hidden insights about our planet.