ESTEC, ESA’s technical heart, seen from orbit

From the International Space Station, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot has photographed cities, coastlines and landscapes across the world during her nearly eight-month εpsilon mission. This time, her camera turned towards a place with a particularly familiar connection: ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.  

ESTEC is ESA’s largest establishment and its technical heart, where many European space projects take shape. Its work spans science, Earth observation and human exploration, including ESA’s European Service Module, which powers and propels Orion on Artemis missions to the Moon and is monitored from ESTEC by European engineers.  

For astronauts, looking back at Earth is not only an opportunity to admire our planet from a unique perspective. Taking photographs can also be a way of reconnecting with familiar places and with the people working below.  

For Sophie, sharing this image is a nod to the ESA colleagues who have supported her mission from the ground. As reflected in the choice of her mission name, εpsilon, spaceflight is very much a team effort, connecting those in orbit with thousands of people on the ground.