ESA owns a number of laboratories in different fields of expertise. The laboratories are established to provide specific support to ESA programmes, and to develop new experimental tools and analysis techniques. The work and applications of the various laboratories cover a wide range of technical areas related to spacecraft activities. Moreover, these laboratories can be made accessible to European industry, in order to complement the technical capacities necessary to the development of their own specialty.

How to request access :

Simply, click on the corresponding link below [Lab Manager] to send an e-mail to the relevant Laboratory responsible, specifying:

• the identity of the company/organisation requesting the service.
• the specific needs stating:

• the scope/destination of the end product.
• the purpose of the activity.
• other elements that could allow the responsible service to get a good initial insight into the services to be provided, and their purpose.

Access conditions :

The accommodation of any service request will be first subject to the specific priorities of the laboratory, which will be evaluated by the laboratory manager. The following rates, subject to the DG approval, are applied:

• "Marginal costs" rates: They apply to companies of ESA member countries satisfying the SME definition criteria of ESA, and to Universities and Research entities of the same countries.
• "Full costs" rates: They apply to all other cases.

For the current rates, please contact the Lab Manager

The laboratories listed below are from The Directorate of Technical & Operational Support (D/TOS) and are grouped into four categories:

MECHANICAL

• Electric Propulsion-Contact:Giorgio.Saccoccia@esa.int
• Mechanical System Lab-Contact:Bernd.Lehmann@esa.int
• Mechanical Design Office-Contact:Bruno.Sarti@esa.int
• Metrology-Contact:Bruno.Sarti@esa.int
• Structures and Mechanisms Analysis Facility-Contact:Torben.Henriksen@esa.int

Microgravity & Materials

• Materials & Processes-Contact:Barrie.Dunn@esa.int
• Microgravity Instrumentation Lab-Contact:Peter.Schiller@esa.int

Radiofrequency, Electrical, Optical

• Compact Antenna Test Range-Contact:Jerzy.Lemanczyk@esa.int
• Components Lab-Contact:Peter.Ellen@esa.int
• Compact Payload TestRange-Contact:Jerzy.Lemanczyk@esa.int
• Digital Electronics-Contact:Luca.Stagnaro@esa.int
• Electronic Eng. Lab & Electromechanical Workshop-Contact:Bruno.Sarti@esa.int
• European Space Battery Technology Centre-Contact:Geoff.Dudley@esa.int
• Ground Station Test & Reference Station-Contact:Paul.Tisun@esa.int
• Laboratory Equipment Pool-Contact:Bruno.Sarti@esa.int
• Microelectronics Lab-Contact:Martin.Hollreiser@esa.int

SOFTWARE, SIMULATION & ROBOTICS

• Aerothermodynamics Anayisis Computing Lab-Contact:Jean-Marie.Muylaert@esa.int
• Automation & Robotics Lab-Contact:Peter.Putz@esa.int
• Computer Vision Lab-Contact:Patrick.Plancke@esa.int
• Digital Lab for Embedded Software-Contact:Yves.Doat@esa.int
• EGSE Reference Facility-Contact:Bryan.Melton@esa.int
• Electromagnetics Computing Facility-Contact:Bertram.Arbesser-Rastburg@esa.int
• Guidance, Navigation & Attitude Orbit Control Lab-Contact:Luisella.Giulicchi@esa.int
• Software & Simulation-Contact:Kjeld.Hjortnaes@esa.int
• Thermal Control Computing Facility-Contact:Charles.Stroom@esa.int