Rotterdam, home to Europe’s largest maritime port
Rotterdam is a key maritime gateway to Europe, home to the continent’s largest port and a crucial hub for international trade and logistics. This image, acquired on 19 May 2025 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, shows the vast infrastructure of the Port of Rotterdam, strategically located at the mouth of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta.
Today, 25 September, is World Maritime Day, which highlights the importance of the maritime sector for global connectivity, economic development, and sustainability.
The EU Space programme supports the maritime sector through a combination of satellite-based services: the Copernicus Marine Service delivers open and operational data for supporting maritime traffic management and coastal zone monitoring; Galileo, Europe’s global navigation satellite system, provides precise positioning for safer and more efficient navigation; EGNOS improves the accuracy and reliability of positioning signals, supporting applications such as port approach, manoeuvring, and inland waterway transport.
