The European Space Agency, ESA

The European Space Agency, ESA, makes use of several satellite programmes, including:

ERS "ERS-1, launched in 1991, was ESA's first Earth Observation satellite; it carried a comprehensive payload including an imaging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a radar altimeter and other powerful instruments to measure ocean surface temperature and winds at sea. ERS-2, which overlapped with ERS-1, was launched in 1995 with an additional sensor for atmospheric ozone research. At their time of launch the two ERS satellites were the most sophisticated Earth observation spacecraft ever

developed and launched in Europe."
More information: http://www.esa.int/export/esaEO/SEMGWH2VQUD_index_0_m.html