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ESA - Observing the Earth News

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.
ESA Observing the Earth
ESA Observing the Earth

ESA Observing the Earth

May 22nd, 2026 04:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth from Space: Algerian arid landscape
The sandy and rocky terrain of the Sahara desert in central Algeria is featured in these images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Image: The sandy and rocky terrain of the Sahara desert in central Algeria is featured in these images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
May 21st, 2026 09:00:00 EDT -0400 Insights into Earth’s molten outer core from space
Earth’s stormy heart

The liquid iron in Earth’s outer core doesn’t always behave as expected. When it changed direction in an unexplained way, ESA satellites provided data on the direction of flow, helping scientists gain better insight into the dynamics at the centre of our planet.

May 20th, 2026 09:00:00 EDT -0400 Greenlight for next two ESA Scout missions
Scout missions

The European Space Agency is expanding its growing fleet of Earth-observing science Scout missions with the selection of two new satellites: Hibidis and SOVA-S.

Chosen from four final competing concepts, these missions will tackle very different but equally pressing scientific questions – from biodiversity below forest canopies to the effects of atmospheric gravity waves high above Earth.

May 15th, 2026 04:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth from Space: Quito’s volcanic landscape
This image, captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2, gives us a glimpse of Ecuador’s capital, Quito, sprawling for 40 km along this high-altitude valley in the Andes. Image: This image, captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2, gives us a glimpse of Ecuador’s capital, Quito, sprawling for 40 km along this high-altitude valley in the Andes.
May 8th, 2026 07:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth observation data for the policymaking of tomorrow
The StatEO26 conference was held at ESA’s Esrin site in Italy.

How can Earth observation data play a more central role in guiding future decisions on the environment? This was one of the questions asked at an ESA-hosted event that brought together leaders from Earth observation science with the global statistics community.

May 8th, 2026 05:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth from Space: Greenland's changing ice
Part of the rugged and deeply indented coast of northeastern Greenland is featured in this radar image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1. Image: Part of the rugged and deeply indented coast of northeastern Greenland is featured in this radar image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1.
May 8th, 2026 03:00:00 EDT -0400 Watch live: selected sessions from the ESA CommEO Forum
Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum

The third ESA Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum (ESA CommEO) will bring together the global Earth observation ecosystem for three days of insights, innovation and high-level networking. It takes place in Seville, Spain, from 12–14 May 2026, but you can join selected sessions online to hear about the latest trends arising in the Earth observation commercial market.  

May 6th, 2026 08:58:00 EDT -0400 Putting the ‘super’ into a supersite for Earth observation
Airship over Sodankylä

In the far northern reaches of Finnish Lapland, an ambitious new chapter in Earth observation is unfolding. The European Space Agency, together with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and Finnish industrial partners, is advancing plans to develop a state-of-the-art ‘supersite’ in Sodankylä.

The plan is to equip this remote site with an array of new advanced environmental measuring technologies, including a striking high-tech airship carrying sensors to perform regional surveys.

May 1st, 2026 04:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth from Space: Netherlands in bloom
Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 21 April 2026, this image shows a double bloom in the Netherlands: an array of vibrant colours in the tulip fields as well as the blue-greenish swirls of phytoplankton in the North Sea. Image: Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on 21 April 2026, this image shows a double bloom in the Netherlands: an array of vibrant colours in the tulip fields as well as the blue-greenish swirls of phytoplankton in the North Sea.
April 24th, 2026 04:00:00 EDT -0400 Earth from Space: Cloud patterns over the Canary Islands
This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image highlights a distinctive cloud formation north of the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Gomera. Image: This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image highlights a distinctive cloud formation north of the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Gomera.
April 22nd, 2026 10:38:00 EDT -0400 ESA and EDA launch joint study to strengthen Europe’s Earth observation capabilities

Press Release N° 20–2026

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) have signed an Implementing Arrangement to jointly identify strategic and technological gaps in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities and develop a long-term roadmap in support of security and defence.

March 11th, 2026 04:27:00 EDT -0400 Media invitation: three innovative European weather and climate satellites in the cleanroom

Press Release N° 13–2026

Journalists are invited to a one-off opportunity to see three ESA-built satellites in their final preparations before liftoff. 

December 8th, 2025 09:00:00 EST -0500 From the Minoans to satellite metrology
Video: 00:06:15

The Minoans were a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization (c. 3100–1100 BC) on Crete and widely regarded as Europe’s earliest advanced culture. They are best known for their impressive palace complexes, most notably Knossos, and for their far-reaching maritime trade, which most likely relied on celestial navigation and a detailed understanding of the constellations. The Minoans recognised a hidden order in the natural world: a force to be respected, yet also harnessed for human benefit. Their era, the Age of Bronze, marked a pivotal moment in the development of human society.

Today, our own relationship with nature must find a new equilibrium. The need to monitor environmental change has never been more urgent, and satellites provide the most powerful means of doing so. This video draws a line from the world of the Minoans to the satellites orbiting above us today, highlighting the vital role of metrology – the science of measurement – in ensuring that the data they provide are accurate and trustworthy. And it turns out that Crete is an ideal location for unique reference network that helps carry out this important task â€“ and particularly important for the Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission

The Sentinel-6 satellites carry the latest radar altimetry technology to further extend the sea-surface height record that began in the early 1990s. These measurements help scientists understand sea-level rise – crucial information for shaping climate policy and protecting the millions of people living in coastal areas around the world.

The first Sentinel-6 satellite was launched in November 2020, followed by Sentinel-6B in November 2025.

November 28th, 2025 16:00:00 EST -0500 Replay: HydroGNSS launch coverage
Video: 01:45:00

ESA’s first Scout mission, HydroGNSS, was launched on 28 November 2025, marking a significant step in advancing global understanding of water availability and the effects of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.

The two twin HydroGNSS satellites were carried into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US.

Embracing the New Space concept, HydroGNSS is one of ESA’s new Scout missions being developed within the Earth Observation FutureEO programme.

November 28th, 2025 16:00:00 EST -0500 HydroGNSS launch highlights
Video: 00:02:51

ESA’s first Scout mission, HydroGNSS, was launched on 28 November 2025, marking a significant step in advancing global understanding of water availability and the effects of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.

The two twin HydroGNSS satellites were carried into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US.

Embracing the New Space concept, HydroGNSS is one of ESA’s new Scout missions being developed within the Earth Observation FutureEO programme.