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Today: ESA ground systems software
Tomorrow: European Ground Systems Common Core (EGS-CC)
Advanced Mission Concepts

The longest call

Operations image of the week: ESA’s deep-space tracking station in Australia makes the longest-ever ‘catch’ for the Agency

Space debris conference

Europe's top forum for information exchange, technical discussions and networking between space debris researchers worldwide | 7th European Space Debris Conference, 18-21 April 2017, ESOC, Darmstadt

ESOC: Our world

Our world is about systems, communication and exploration; our passion is for humanity’s voyages into the Universe

Mission controllers

Operations image of the week: A happy mission control team at ESA just after ExoMars completed its first deep-space engine firing en route to the Red Planet

ExoMars/TGO hangout

Watch a replay of a Google+ Hangout with updates and Q&A with ESA experts and scientists focusing on the crucial milestones during the spacecraft's seven-month cruise to the Red Planet

Mars navigation

Operations image of the week: ESA is using quasars – some of the Universe’s most enigmatic objects – to perform ultraprecise navigation for ExoMars

Over the rainbow

Operations image of the week: ESA’s deep-space tracking station in Argentina framed by a rainbow and highlighted by the Sun

Cold gas in deep space

Operations image of the week: Mission controllers use these cold-gas thrusters to keep LISA Pathfinder where it needs to be

Latest News

In 2016, NASA's Cassini mission will begin its final 'Grand Finale' and ESA’s superbly sensitive deep-space tracking stations will be called in to help gather crucial radio science data.

Most distant catch for ESA station18 August 2016

Most distant catch for ESA station18 August 2016 An ESA tracking station has acquired signals from the international Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn, across more than 1.4 billion km of space.

So you want to drive a spacecraft?16 August 2016

So you want to drive a spacecraft?16 August 2016 ESA’s Education Office is organising a four day course at the ESA Academy that will take 22 university students into the fascinating world of spacecraft operations. The course will show how different ‘driving’ a spacecraft is from designing it.

Engine burn gives Mars mission a kick28 July 2016

Engine burn gives Mars mission a kick28 July 2016 Following a lengthy firing of its powerful engine this morning, ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is on track to arrive at the Red Planet in October.

Europe’s workhorse Sentinel ready for action13 July 2016

Europe’s workhorse Sentinel ready for action13 July 2016 Getting the bigger picture on the health of our planet drew another step closer today as Europe’s Sentinel-3A satellite was handed over to Eumetsat for operations.

Mars Express monitored the flyby of comet Siding Spring on 19 October 2014

A little help from friends15 June 2016

A little help from friends15 June 2016 ESA’s first Mars orbiter will provide an important helping hand when the second arrives at the Red Planet in October.

Keeping LISA Pathfinder up there13 June 2016

Keeping LISA Pathfinder up there13 June 2016 Simply getting ESA’s gravitational-wave technology demonstration mission into its initial operational orbit was a challenge. Keeping it there requires teamwork, cold gas and lots of little pushes.

News Archive