N° 54–2026: Media invitation: ESA’s ESTEC Open Day

ESA ESTEC in Noordwijk will open its doors to media and the general public from 10:00 to 17:00 CEST. Visitors will have the chance to explore behind the scenes of ESA's technical heart, hear from ESA engineers, scientists and astronauts, and get up close to the technology being developed and tested for space missions. Don't miss to visit Space Expo too.

Media opportunities

Media opportunities on the day include interviews with:

• Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General
• Dietmar Pilz, Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality and Head of ESTEC

The following astronauts will also be available:

• André Kuipers, Dutch ESA astronaut and medical doctor, André broke the record for the longest European spaceflight in 2012 with 193 days aboard the International Space Station. 
• Matthias Maurer, German ESA astronaut who spent 177 days aboard the International Space Station during his first spaceflight in 2021–2022.
• Carmen Possnig, Austrian ESA astronaut and medical doctor, selected as a member of ESA’s 2022 astronaut class.
• Daniel Tani, American NASA astronaut who flew two space missions, including long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station.

What to see:

• Get a special look at PLATO - ESA’s planet-hunting mission searching for planets beyond our Solar System
• Discover Hera - ESA’s mission to the asteroid Dimorphos and a key step in planetary defence
• Visit the NL Space Tent – Discover the diversity of the Dutch space sector, meet the organisations driving exciting innovations and the people behind them, and explore how the Netherlands is contributing to Europe’s space ambitions.

Media registration 

Media are invited to register for the Open Day via the registration form below by 17:00 CEST on Tuesday, 22 September.  

Media accreditation form: ESA’s ESTEC Open Day – ESA forms

Registration to the event is mandatory.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via media@esa.int

For more information on the day and to keep updated on the general Open Day programme, please see ESA - ESA Open Days 2026

Images

ESA's Photo Library for Professionals: https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/ 

Terms and conditions for using ESA images: www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images

For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int 

Videos

ESA's Video Library for Professionals: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos 

Terms and conditions for using ESA video: www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images

For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int 

Social Media

Follow ESA on

• X: @esa 
• Bluesky: @esa
• LinkedIn: @ESA
• Facebook: @EuropeanSpaceAgency 
• Instagram: @europeanspaceagency 
• YouTube: ESA

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with three other Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement. 

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int.