Flying spacecraft means staying curious: Jutta Hübner at ESOC

As we continue celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, we’ve shared a series of stories spotlighting women at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) who fly spacecraft.

Meet Jutta Hübner, Spacecraft Operations Manager (SOM) for ESA’s Integral mission.
Jutta has supported Integral for nearly 15 years – first as a Spacecraft Operations Engineer (SOE), and as SOM since last year. One of the defining moments of her career was helping recover the spacecraft during a critical propulsion anomaly. Although Integral ended scientific observations last year, she now oversees its safe operations through to its reentry in 2029.
With a background in astronomy and physics, Jutta’s enthusiasm for Integral is infectious. “Integral is a really cool mission,” she says. “It’s a real-time mission with no onboard data storage, so anomalies appeared instantly with no time delay.”
At ESA, Jutta also supports XMM-Newton, Cheops and the ESA Mission Operations Academies. She also previously supported MSG-4 (ESA/EUMETSAT).
Beyond her passion for astronomy missions, Jutta loves ESOC’s collaborative, international environment. She believes the strength of ESOC lies in its diversity:
“What inspires me most is the teamwork. People here do this job because they truly love it and that passion shows every day. ESOC brings together people from all over the world and that diversity sparks creativity. Together, you achieve far more as a team than any individual ever could. And at ESOC, there is an inclusive atmosphere, a spirit of welcoming everyone.”
Her advice to women who dream of flying spacecraft?
“Follow your passion and dreams. Just try, just apply. And then apply again. Stay curious and seize every opportunity you can. ESOC offers so many possibilities. If you don’t try, you will miss the chance to seize them.”

This text was previously published on ESA Operations, Engineering, and Space Safety's LinkedIn page.