European Space Operations Centre (ESOC)

The European Space Operations Centre (ESA/ESOC)

The European Space Operations Centre (ESA/ESOC) is the control centre of the European Space Agency (ESA) – “Europe’s gateway to space”, located in Darmstadt, Germany. It is responsible for the operation of all ESA satellites, as well as for the development and maintenance of ESA’s global ground stations network.
Since its establishment in September 1967, ESOC has controlled over 60 European satellite missions such as Mars Express, Cluster, XMM-Newton, Gaia, Herschel/Planck, Rosetta, Envisat, CryoSat, the Sentinels, etc.
The centre has also supported 60 missions for other external organisations.
Because of its highly developed technologies and specialised teams, ESOC is able to operate more than 16 satellites simultaneously in routine orbit and further satellites in LEOP.
The Centre has conducted significant satellite recovery missions and is a focal point for Space Debris studies.
In 2016, 270 ESA Staff and about 630 Contractors worked on its premises.

More: www.esa.int/esoc & www.esa.int/esoc_de #ESOC50