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Drone inspection

Operations image of the week: A drone’s view of our deep-space dish in Spain

The longest call

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

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

Comet relay

Operations image of the week: ESA’s deep-space tracking station in Argentina seen while relaying signals from Philae in 2014

Teamwork

Operations image of the week: A team of teams at ESA’s operations centre assumes control of humanity’s next mission to the Red Planet

First contact

Operations image of the week: In its first operational usage, ESA’s new tracking antenna in Australia followed Ariane’s launch yesterday, providing perfect contact

#SocialSpaceWA

Participants in ESA's first-ever social media event down under gather in front of the deep-space tracking antenna at New Norcia, Western Australia, for the official group photo on Thursday, 11 February 2016

Going to space

Operations image of the week: Mission control teams begin intensive simulation training for the launch of Sentinel-1B, part of Europe’s Copernicus programme

Estrack brochure

ESA's worldwide ground station network provides links between satellites in orbit and mission controllers on ground (download PDF)

Tracking down under

Access an image gallery highlighting ESA's new 4.5m high-tech dish antenna at New Norcia, Australia, part of the Estrack network

Engineering the future

With the right technology and smart planning, sometimes a small tracking station will do just fine.

Nalla, the persuader

Human spaceflight and operations image of the week: Nalla, a female peregrine falcon, persuades other birds to nest away from our beautiful deep-space tracking dish

Ground station chillax

The winning entry in the #Estrack40 audio contest is now the official theme music for ESA's ground station network

Tracking station gallery

ESA's worldwide ground station network links people with spacecraft travelling to the frontiers of human knowledge

Estrack ground stations

ESA's ground stations: A worldwide network linking people with spacecraft delivering knowledge of our planet, our Solar System and our Universe

Latest News

In 2016/2017, ESA's former Perth station will be relocated to Santa Maria Island, in the Azores, to be returned to service as an Earth mission tracking facility operated by European industry.

Recycling a space antenna07 September 2016

Recycling a space antenna07 September 2016 A decommissioned ESA ground station from Australia will be returned to service in the Azores, highlighting an innovative reuse that benefits both the Agency and European industry.

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.

ESOC serves as the Operations Control Centre for ESA missions

European space operations experts at the Berlin Air and Space Show31 May 2016

European space operations experts at the Berlin Air and Space Show31 May 2016 ESA will be exhibiting in the ‘Space for Earth’ pavilion (Hall 4) at ILA – one of the world’s largest aerospace trade shows – this week.

ESA's third deep-space tracking at Malargüe, Argentina, seen during inauguration on 18 December 2012

ESA extends global ties 03 May 2016

ESA extends global ties 03 May 2016 As an intergovernmental space agency, ESA engages with countries well beyond those of its member states. A key partnership is with Argentina, one of South America’s most space-connected countries.

On 20 April, the Sentinel-1B mission control team at ESOC conducted the full dress rehearsal for launch, set for 22 April 2016

Teams ready for Sentinel-1B launch21 April 2016

Teams ready for Sentinel-1B launch21 April 2016 A final, full rehearsal has confirmed that teams at ESA’s mission control are ready for tomorrow’s launch of the Sentinel-1B radar satellite.

With just days to go before the departure of ExoMars, mission teams at ESOC, Darmstadt, are in the final stages of their months-long training that ensures everyone knows their job the moment the mission comes alive

Intensive training for Mars voyage08 March 2016

Intensive training for Mars voyage08 March 2016 With just days to go before the departure of ExoMars, mission teams are in the final stages of their months-long training that ensures everyone knows their job the moment the mission comes alive.

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