Satellites: Orbits and Missions

In all, the European Space Agency (ESA) has developed 60 spacecrafts over the last few decades. Some of these, such as the ERS satellites and Envisat, are dedicated to monitoring the Earthand providing vital data on the health status of our planet. Other spacecraft have helped to improve the accuracy of weather forecasting. Galileo, the joint ESA/EU satellite navigation p- gramme, demonstrates the political dimension of space as service-provider for the benefit of European citizens. While t...