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 topicThis video provides an in-depth look at Meteosat-1, Europe's first geostationary weather satellite, which marked Europe’s contribution to world weather watching and ESA’s entrance into Earth observation. Launched on 23 Nov 1977 from Cape Canaveral, FL, Meteosat-1 formed part of a group of five geostationary satellites which made it possible to observe the whole surface of Earth simultaneously for the first time. Its objectives were to transmit these images of the surface every half hour, disseminate prepared meteo images and gather environmental data.