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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Fanned by very strong winds, a wildfire is ripping through the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, California. With the city declaring a state of emergency, tens of thousands of people are evacuating as the out-of-control blaze continues to spread rapidly. Officials warn that the situation is likely to worsen.
This image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission vividly depicts the smoke billowing from the fire near Santa Monica at 10:36 local time on 7 January 2025, not long after the fire broke out. The blaze has since caused widespread damage and concern.
The image has been processed as a false colour composite that blends the true colour with shortwave infrared bands of the mission’s multispectral imager.
Two other fires around Los Angeles are also growing fast: the Hurst fire north of San Fernando and the Eaton fire in Altadena.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, each carrying an innovative wide swath high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for monitoring changes in Earth’s land and vegetation.