Cluster 'family' says goodbye to Samba at ESOC

The Cluster 'family' gathered at ESOC, ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, to celebrate all the memories and achievements and share the bittersweet moment of goodbye as the Samba spacecraft reenters the atmosphere on 31 August 2026.

The image shows a large group of visitors gathered in ESOC’s Press Centre, watching a large display screen showing spacecraft-tracking and mission visualisation data. Some attendees are seated while others stand around the room.