Aerial views of ESAC 2010

ESAC is thereby the place from which the science operations for space telescopes are conducted, and where all of the scientific data they produce is archived and made accessible to the world. ESAC is therefore an international centre of excellence for space science and instrumental to ESA and the space science community at large.
 
 

	General view of Cebreros

ESA’s 35m diameter deep-space antenna for Europe is located in Cebreros (Avila) and supports the activities of ESAC by gathering data from distant missions to Mercury, Venus, Mars and beyond.

ESAC accommodates the Spanish Laboratory for Space Astrophysics and Fundamental Physics (LAEFF), an innovative research facility aimed mainly at encouraging young Spanish scientists to enter the fields of astrophysics and fundamental physics. ESAC will also host the Data Processing Ground Centre for ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, scheduled to be launched in 2009.
 
 

The Prince unveils the inauguration plaque at ESAC

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias inaugurated on February 2008 ESA’s European Space Astronomy Center. Click here to read full article.
 
 

	Aerial view of ESAC

Finally, ESAC hosts the ESAC Communication and Education Office. The office functions as ESA’s country desk for Spain and Portugal and is responsible for managing several ESA Education programmes such as the popular microgravity-research opportunity Fly Your Thesis! aimed at Masters and PhD students.
 
 
Last update: 4 October 2010