25 MAR. 2019
publication date
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It takes a team to fly to space and ESA astronauts are well supported at every stage of a mission by their colleagues back on Earth.
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EUROCOM Logo
European Communicator and Medical Operations (EUROCOM)
European Communicator and Medical Operations (EUROCOM) is the interface between Astronauts, the Columbus Flight Control Team, User Support and Operation Centres (USOCs) and space medicine experts.
EUROCOMs are chosen among EAC's Crew Support, Crew Instructors and Biomedical Engineers. They are the "voice of Earth", performing and managing communication between ESA’s Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, USOCs all over Europe and Astronauts from all countries working on ESA activities on-orbit. EUROCOMs also monitor ESA crew health and well-being, working closely with ESA Flight Surgeons, the Astronaut Exercise Team and other medical specialists.
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ECOS operational engineer on console at EAC
EAC Crew Operations Support (ECOS)
The EAC Crew Operations Support (ECOS) is a multidisciplinary team composed of members and operational experts from different EAC teams such as Space Medicine, Space Training and Astronaut Operations.
ECOS supports the preparation, integration and execution of different research activities, technology demonstrations and system activities on board the International Space Station, as well as in simulations of space conditions on the ground (analogue platforms) in the area of medical operations, crew support, training and robotics. ECOS therefore acts as an ESA Operational Centre and is responsible for running and implementing European payloads on the International Space Station.
ECOS is also responsible for coordinating the collection of in-flight data for the experiments under their responsibility, as well as its distribution to the researchers (Principal Investigators) and transfer to the ESA Human and Robotic Exploration Data Archive (HREDA).
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Alexander Gerst food testing
Crew Support
Crew Support team members working out of EAC ensure astronauts are able to focus on their missions by taking care of details such as the development of space food, launch and return preparations and communications between an astronaut and their families.
Science and Data
EAC is also responsible for coordinating the collection of baseline data. This involves ensuring researchers have access to any data or samples they might require from an astronaut on Earth before or after their mission to provide a reference point for in-space experiments.
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ESA astronauts
In 1998, ESA Member States participating in the International Space Station (ISS) programme decided to unite their respective astronaut teams with the existing ESA core team to form a single European Astronaut Corps. This integration process was completed in 2002.
Training
Based at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC), ESA’s Space Training Team ensures all European astronauts are well prepared for missions to the International Space Station and equipped for the next phase of space exploration.
Space Medicine
Astronauts face many health challenges when living and working in space, including the impacts of microgravity, radiation and isolation.
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