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ESA

Photo Gallery on ESA website

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Artist's impression of ESA's Herschel satellite. Herschel will investigate the history of how stars and galaxies formed and to study how they continue to form in our own and other galaxies. Herschel will observe at wavelengths never covered before. It is due for launch on 16 April 2009, in couple with the ESA Planck satellite that will map the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) to study the early of the Universe. Artist's impression of ESA's Herschel satellite. Herschel will investigate the history of how stars and galaxies formed and to study how they continue to form in our own and other galaxies. Herschel will observe at wavelengths never covered before. It is due for launch on 16 April 2009, in couple with the ESA Planck satellite that will map the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) to study the early of the Universe.
Over its lifetime of about 20 months, GOCE will map global variations in the gravity field with extreme detail and provide a unique model of the geoid, which is crucial for understanding ocean circulation, sea-level change and ice dynamics – all of which are affected by climate change. Over its lifetime of about 20 months, GOCE will map global variations in the gravity field with extreme detail and provide a unique model of the geoid, which is crucial for understanding ocean circulation, sea-level change and ice dynamics – all of which are affected by climate change.
As part of ESA’s Living Planet programme, the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) will be the first of a series of Earth Explorer satellites in orbit, designed to provide information for understanding critical Earth system variables. GOCE will be launched in 2009.
This Envisat image features the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago situated some 1 000 km to the west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Galapagos’s largest island is Isabela (visible). This Envisat image features the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago situated some 1 000 km to the west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Galapagos’s largest island is Isabela (visible). The image was obtained by combining three Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) acquisitions (23 March 2006, 14 August 2008 and 1 January 2009) taken over the same area. The colours in the image result from variations in the surface that occurred between acquisitions. Apart from mapping changes on the land surface, radar data can also be used to determine sea surface parameters like wind speed, wind direction and wave height. Different wave types and wind speeds are visible in the image as ripples on the water surface.
A view of the European Columbus laboratory installed in its new home on the International Space Station. Columbus was launched with Space Shuttle Atlantis on 7 February 2008. The new module was installed on the starboard side of the Harmony module during a spacewalk on 11 February 2008. A view of the European Columbus laboratory installed in its new home on the International Space Station. Columbus was launched with Space Shuttle Atlantis on 7 February 2008. The new module was installed on the starboard side of the Harmony module during a spacewalk on 11 February 2008.
During its 10-year projected lifespan, Earth-based researchers, together with the ISS crew, will be able to conduct thousands of experiments in life sciences, materials science, fluid physics and a whole host of other disciplines, all in the weightlessness of orbit.
One of the methods for detecting exoplanets is to look for the drop in brightness they cause when they pass in front of their parent star. Such a celestial alignment is known as a planetary transit. Such transits block a tiny fraction of the light that the COROT satellite is able to detect. One of the methods for detecting exoplanets is to look for the drop in brightness they cause when they pass in front of their parent star. Such a celestial alignment is known as a planetary transit. Such transits block a tiny fraction of the light that the COROT satellite is able to detect. COROT (planetary convection, rotation and transits) is a mission led by the French Space Agency (CNES), with contributions from ESA, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Brazil. It is a telescope placed in Earth orbit that was launched in December 2006 carrying a 27 cm-diameter telescope designed to detect tiny changes the brightness of nearby stars. The mission’s main objectives are to search for exoplanets and to study stellar interiors.
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