People with a passion for space

Every day, ESA spacecraft are making new breakthroughs in our knowledge of the Earth and the Universe. However, none of these successes would be possible without teams of people working behind the scenes. One of the key positions is that of Spacecraft Operations Manager (SOM) - the leader of the flight control team for each mission.

The SOMs are some of the most talented and qualified engineers in Europe. They come from a wide variety of educational and career backgrounds. One of the current group trained as a pilot at the Italian Air Force Academy; another taught mathematics in Morocco.

At present there are 19 SOMs - men and women - working on current and future ESA missions. Their task is to assemble and lead a group of engineers who are experts in different areas of spacecraft technology.

So what does it take to be a great SOM?

"SOMs must put together a team and then take the lead. They must really care,” said Manfred Warhaut, Head of ESA's Missions Operations Department. “Their mission might be valued between 400 million and 1 billion euro. We don't want to lose any of these missions, so the flight control team must be highly motivated and it's the SOM who makes that happen."

Even when the mission is over, the experience remains unforgettable.

“You keep wonderful memories of a job - hopefully - well done, and afterwards you must try and apply your hard-earned experience to another mission,” said Claudio Sollazzo, head of the Huygens Flight Control Team.