Wave information is crucial for people working at sea, to be able to navigate and operate safely. A new product based on satellite altimeter data detailing ‘Significant Wave Height' now enables this.

With around 90% of world trade carried by ships, making sure a vessel follows the fastest route has clear economic benefits. By merging measurements from different satellites, ESA is providing key information on ocean currents, which is not only making shipping more efficient but is also helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Sentinel-2A is demonstrating how it can be used to help forecast ocean waves around our coasts: sunlight reflected from the water surface reveals complex waves as they encounter the coastline and seafloor off the tip of Dorre Island, Western Australia.

How can access to Sentinel data increase Canada's ability to offer improved information on sea ice?

While sailing south of Africa on an around-the-world voyage, Matteo Miceli was suddenly alerted to a massive iceberg in his path. Almost 4 km long, the iceberg drifting near the Prince Edward Islands was detected and tracked by European satellites.

CryoSat has delivered this year's map of autumn sea-ice thickness in the Arctic, revealing a small decrease in ice volume. In a new phase for ESA's ice mission, the measurements can now also be used to help vessels navigate through the north coastal waters of Alaska, for example.

Within the first days of its operational life, the Sentinel-1A satellite has provided data for marine services in the Arctic.

SMOS is not only delivering key information on soil moisture and ocean salinity for science, but its data are also being used for a growing number of practical applications. Reflecting this versatility along with new synergistic opportunities, the mission will now remain operational until at least 2017.

ESA will improve the identification and tracking of seafaring vessels anywhere on Earth from 2018 under a public–private partnership with LuxSpace of Luxembourg and exactEarth of Canada, signed today at the UK’s premier airshow.

Calling all app developers: register today for the opportunity to spend a week at ESA developing new ideas and concepts for mobile apps using satellite Earth observation data.