• → European Space Agency

      • Space for Europe
      • Space News
      • Space in Images
      • Space in Videos
    • About Us

      • Welcome to ESA
      • DG's news and views
      • For Member State Delegations
      • Business with ESA
      • Law at ESA
      • ESA Exhibitions
      • ESA Publications
      • Careers at ESA
      • ESAshop
    • Our Activities

      • Space News
      • Observing the Earth
      • Human Spaceflight
      • Space Transportation
      • Navigation
      • Space Science
      • Space Engineering & Technology
      • Operations
      • Telecommunications & Integrated Applications
      • Preparing for the Future
    • Careers at ESA

    • For Media

      • Media
      • ESA TV
      • Videos for professionals
      • Photos
    • For Educators

    • For Kids

    • ESA

    • ESOC

    • ESOC 1967-2017

    • Operations

    • European Space Operations Centre
    • Centre overview
    • Director of Operations Rolf Densing
    • ESOC Brochure (PDF)
    • Mission history
    • #ESOC50
    • ESOC timeline - start
    • Where missions come alive
    • The life of a mission
    • Ground segment: preparing for launch
    • Launch campaign
    • Countdown
    • Liftoff!
    • Routine operations
    • Specialised facilities
    • Where we work and what we do
    • Centre of excellence
    • Ground station network
    • Space debris research & services
    • Space Situational Awareness
    • ESA Navigation Support Office
    • Software for space
    • cesah
    • Empowering European industry
    • Today: ESA ground systems software
    • Tomorrow: European Ground Systems Common Core (EGS-CC)
    • Advanced Mission Concepts
    • What's happening
    • ESOC access
    • Getting to ESOC
    • Contact us
    • ESOC guided tours

    ESA > About Us > ESOC

    ESA's Operations Centre gets fit for the future

    ESA Director General Dordain speaking at the ESOC II Richtfest roof-topping ceremony, 4 September 2013
    ESA Director General Dordain
    4 September 2013

    The expansion of ESA’s operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany, was in the spotlight today in preparation for upcoming Earth observation, planetary exploration and astronomy missions. The enlarged site will also support enhanced technical research and development in areas such as space debris.

    On 4 September, a ‘Richtfest’ – a traditional way of thanking the construction team for its work – was celebrated for the new buildings on the ‘ESOC II’ site, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of ESOC. The event followed completion of the roof and outer shell of the first structure, located on newly provided land across the street from the main gate of ESOC in the west end of Darmstadt.

    ESA and German VIPs at Richfest roof-topping ceremony at ESOC II, Darmstadt, 4 September 2013
    ESA and German VIPs

    Two new buildings will provide up to 250 administrative workspaces, freeing up space for the future development of the satellite control facilities located on the present campus.

    The expansion will enable ESOC to support a growing range of new missions, including Gaia, ExoMars, the Sentinels and EarthCare.

    Expansion necessary to support new missions

    The ceremony was hosted by ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and Thomas Reiter, Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations and Head of the ESOC Establishment.

    "ESOC is a true success story; no major ESA mission in the past decades would have been possible without our outstanding spacecraft operations experts," said ESA Director General Dordain.

    ESOC view of the future
    ESOC view of the future

    The first phase of the ESOC modernisation and expansion project, which includes the new buildings, valued in total at €24 million, is being funded by €9.5 million from the German Government and €2 million from the State of Hessen.

    VIP guests included Hans-Joachim Otto, Parliamentary State Secretary in Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Jörg-Uwe Hahn, Deputy Prime Minister of the Hessen region, which hosts the ESOC establishment, Klaus-Peter Willsch, Member of the German Bundestag and Chairman of the Aviation and Space Group, Prof. Johann-Dietrich Wörner, CEO of DLR, and Jochen Partsch, Lord Mayor of Darmstadt.

    Klaus Brix, Managing Director of Zechbau Co. Ltd., the lead contractor for the construction, also took part.

    ESOC expansion highlights importance of space for Europe

    The expansion of ESOC provides a significant boost to ESA’s activities in Germany and highlights the growing importance of space in the region and to Europe overall. 

    ESOC Climbing Club unfurls the banner at the Richtfest roof-topping ceremony for the ESOC II buildings, Darmstadt, 3 September 2013
    ESOC Climbing Club unfurls the banner

    The new building initiative stems from intensive cooperation in recent years between the German Ministry of Economics, the State of Hessen, the city of Darmstadt and ESA.

    "This is a great day for Europe in space. The German government is very pleased with the achievements of ESA as Europe's space agency," said German State Secretary Hans-Joachim Otto. 

    "The extension of this operations centre is a key element in our commitment to ESA."

    The expansion will also support ESOC’s growing activities related to specialised software, which is being adopted by a wide range of European industry, value-added navigational services and advanced technology development.

    Work is continuing on the two new modern, energy-efficient buildings, which should be ready for occupancy in early summer 2014.

    Rate this

    Views

    Share

    • Currently 4 out of 5 Stars.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    Rating: 4.1/5 (13 votes cast)

    Thank you for rating!

    You have already rated this page, you can only rate it once!

    Your rating has been changed, thanks for rating!

    1688
    Tweet

    Related articles

    ESOC - Erweiterung des ESA-Satellitenkontrollzentrums in Darmsta

    ESA operations centre to be expanded14 January 2011

    ESOC - Erweiterung des ESA-Satellitenkontrollzentrums in Darmsta

    ESA operations centre to be expanded14 January 2011 The first phase of the ESOC II €60 million modernisation and expansion project will comprise an investment of a total of €24 million of which €9.5 million will be co-sponsored by the German federal government and another €2 million by the State of Hes...

      • Where missions come alive
      • ESOC profile video
      • ESOC II Richtfest in Flickr
    • App Store
    • Subscribe
    • mobile version
    • LATEST ARTICLES
    • · Walking on the Moon – underwater
    • · Storm hunter in position
    • · Mars impact crater or supervolcano?
    • · Top tomatoes thanks to Mars missio…
    • · Mars Express v2.0
    • FAQ

    • Site Map

    • Contacts

    • Terms and conditions