ESA Operations, Engineering & Space Safety

How do you rescue a spacecraft before it even launches? 🛰️ By deliberately making it fail. Last month, European Space Agency - ESA's Plato Flight Control team at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) completed the mission's second System Validation Test (SVT) with the spacecraft, a major milestone on the road to launch. 🚀 Unlike the first SVT, which focused on launch and early operations, this campaign was carried out using the real spacecraft at ESTEC and focused on recovering from anomalies at the target destination - the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2). 🌌 Engineers deliberately triggered safe mode scenarios and spacecraft reboots, monitored telemetry, validated procedures, and practiced switching to redundant systems. ✅ One reason these rehearsals are so important is Plato's unique payload. Unlike most space telescopes, Plato has 26 individual cameras that work together as one instrument to search for Earth-like planets.  While identical in design, each has its own electronics, thermal behaviour, and configuration, making even routine operations highly complex and campaigns like this one, crucial. Every three months, flight controllers will rotate the spacecraft by 90° to protect the cameras from direct sunlight. After each rotation, all 26 cameras must be carefully reconfigured. 📸 🗣️ "Even though Euclid has double the science data rate, Plato command uplinks will take longer. For every 90-degree rotation, the payload configuration may take up to two days!" explains Plato Spacecraft Operations Engineer Riya Mody. Follow for more behind-the-scenes here and on ESA Space Science from the teams preparing Europe's next planet hunter. 🌍🔭 📷 ESA #ESOC #Plato #Exoplanets

🚀 One rocket. Two spacecraft. So much more than a dual launch: stay tuned for FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C!   On 15 September, European Space Agency - ESA will create a coordinated observation system unlike any in orbit today: get ready for the launch of two spacecraft on a single rocket – Copernicus Sentinel-3C and FLEX, a new Earth Explorer mission.   🌊 🌍❄️ While Sentinel-3C will continue monitoring Earth's oceans, land, ice and atmosphere, currently carried out by its younger siblings Sentinel-3A and -B, FLEX will shed new light on the faint fluorescence emitted by plants during photosynthesis, providing unprecedented insight into vegetation health. 🌱 🌳🌿 🛰️🛰️ Together, a Sentinel-3 satellite and FLEX will form a coordinated observation system to combine measurements of land surfaces and atmospheric conditions into a uniquely powerful scientific dataset.   But launching this vision into reality requires just as much coordination on the ground as it does in space.   A dual launch does not just mean two spacecraft on one rocket. It requires the unique expertise, infrastructure and operational experience that ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) was built for – where hundreds of experts from across disciplines are working together as a coordinated team so that the two missions can be supported safely and simultaneously.   Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for:   📡 How ground operations experts are preparing to support the two missions 🛰️ How flight dynamics experts will establish and maintain the satellites' precise tandem configuration 👥 The experts enabling this unique launch 🎮 The large-scale simulations that allow teams to rehearse coordinated scenarios across both missions   Don’t miss the ride with Thales Alenia Space and AVIO that will lay the foundations for an exciting new chapter of ESA Earth Observation.   #Copernicus #Sentinel #ESOC #FLEX

Can a solar eclipse help improve space weather forecasts? ☀️🌚🪩   That's exactly what the Space Weather Office at ESOC is exploring in collaboration with KU Leuven ahead of the total solar eclipse on 12 August.   Using advanced computer models, scientists are creating virtual eclipses that predict what the Sun's corona should look like during totality. When the real eclipse occurs, they'll compare those predictions with observations to see how well the models perform.   A close match would boost confidence in the tools used to forecast space weather, helping scientists to better predict solar storms that can affect satellites, navigation systems, communications and power infrastructure.   A rare celestial event, and a unique opportunity to test and improve our ability to forecast the Sun's impact on Earth.   #ESOC #SolarEclipse #SpaceWeather #SpaceSafety

ESA Operations is relieved that European Space Agency - ESA’s Cebreros ground station has been declared GREEN for nominal operations following the recent wildfires in Spain and is already tracking ESA’s Solar Orbiter. We are also pleased to report that all ESA missions continued to receive full support while Cebreros was offline. Thanks to the flexibility of Estrack, ESA’s global network of deep-space ground stations, other stations were able to take over communications, ensuring that no data was lost and spacecraft operations remained unaffected. Most importantly, we are grateful that all our colleagues have remained safe throughout this challenging period. Our sincere thanks go to the teams on site, the Spanish emergency services, local authorities and first responders whose dedication helped protect the station and support the wider community. While operations can now resume, our thoughts remain with the families, communities and everyone affected by the wildfires. We know that many continue to face the consequences of this emergency, and we hope for a safe and swift recovery for all. Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to safeguard people, infrastructure and communities during this difficult time. #Cebreros #Estrack

🛰️ From mission control in Darmstadt to destinations across the Solar System: nearly six decades, over 90 missions. From exploring distant planets to monitoring Earth, studying the Sun, investigating dark matter and helping protect our planet from asteroid threats, many of European Space Agency - ESA's biggest achievements have one thing in common: They came alive at ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. 🌍 🪐🔭☀️ 🌌☄️ #WhereMissionsComeAlive isn't just a slogan. Since its first activities in 1968, ESOC has been the operational heart of European spaceflight – planning, flying and safeguarding missions across the Solar System. Behind every successful launch, critical manoeuvre and scientific discovery is a multidisciplinary team of engineers, flight controllers and mission specialists delivering the expertise that keeps Europe's spacecraft operating safely, reliably and precisely. 👩💻🧑💻👨💻 But ESOC isn't only shaping today's missions. It is strengthening Europe's independent capabilities in space, driving innovation and supporting industry. And there is plenty more to come: teams at ESOC are already preparing the next generation of Earth observation, science, exploration and Space Safety missions. 🛰️📡🛡️ 🔗 Explore the missions that shaped ESOC’s past, power its present and are preparing Europe’s future in space: https://lnkd.in/euWiAzKj #ESOC #SpaceOperations #MissionControl 📸 ESA/J. Mai

Ancient legends crossed seas. Hera crosses the Solar System. 🛰️✨    Bound for the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system, European Space Agency - ESA’s Hera mission will study the results of humanity's first asteroid deflection experiment, helping to shape the future of planetary defence. Odysseus faced gods, mythical creatures and stormy seas. 🌊    Today, Hera navigates a different set of challenges. Guided by flight dynamics experts, deep-space tracking and precisely executed manoeuvres, the spacecraft is travelling millions of kilometers through space.  His journey was shaped by daring challenges; Hera's by gravity fields, flybys and the complex mechanics of spaceflight. The destination may be an asteroid, but the journey is an odyssey in its own right. ☄️ From mythological legends to modern space safety, some odyseeys never stop inspiring us. Want to read more about the Greco-mythological legacy of ESA space missions? Click here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKxDpEUf  #ESOC #Hera #SpaceSafety #TheOdyssey 

📡🔴 Strengthening Europe's link to Mars. For the first time, the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, UK, has successfully sent commands to and received X-band data from European Space Agency - ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, marking a major milestone in Europe's deep-space communications network. 🙌 Behind the scenes, ESA and Goonhilly worked closely together to prepare and validate the link, progressively testing the station's ability to receive telemetry from ExoMars before ultimately testing its ability to command the spacecraft. 🌌 Building resilience for interplanetary communications This achievement is the result of a long-term effort to increase the operational flexibility of Estrack, ESA’s global system of ground stations used to communicate with spacecraft in deep space. Trusted partner assets such as Goonhilly complement Estrack’s core network of ESA-owned ground stations, helping ESA meet growing communications needs while increasing operational flexibility. 🛰️ Having already contributed to missions such as Solar Orbiter, Cluster and Gaia, Goonhilly is now extending its role with ExoMars, demonstrating the value of trusted commercial partners in strengthening European spaceflight. 🛠️ From historic antenna to modern asset Goonhilly's journey to interplanetary connectivity has been years in the making. The world’s first commercial deep-space tracking service emerged after ESA engineering teams helped Goonhilly to transform a 32 m antenna into a station capable of supporting spacecraft operating millions of kilometres from Earth. As ESA prepares for even more missions across the Solar System, achievements like this help ensure that spacecraft can stay connected wherever they travel. #ESOC #ExoMars #Estrack 📷 GES - Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd.

Alpha. Bravo. Charlie. – the ABC’s of the MCR. 🧑🏫💬🛰️ Did you know that at European Space Agency - ESA’s main control room (MCR), spacecraft operators talk in a specific space operations dialect?   Just like we all learn our ABCs to communicate when growing up, mission operators train to use precise, standardised vocabulary to get their message across. Because at mission control, confusion is not an option! 🗣️ “The legacy comes from the early aviation days where clarity in noisy environments helps to clear away ambiguity in the message,” explains ESOC Simulations Officer, Gustavo Baldo Carvalho. With the pressure and complexity behind every mission, how teams communicate on the ground is critical. Clarity is key. This is why the English spoken through the MCR voice loops follows strict rules. For example: ✅  Yes = Affirmative   ❌  No = Negative   👍 Message received, understood and will comply = Wilco And when spelling matters, the phonetic alphabet takes over. For example:   “Planet” is not P-L-A-N-E-T. Instead, it’s Papa-Lima-Alpha-November-Echo-Tango. The result? A clear MCR English dialect that helps keep missions on track. “It takes a couple of times to get the hang of it,” Gustavo confesses. “But it’s fun! After a while you even start thinking and talking MCR English outside of work!”     📷 ESA #ESOC #Missioncontrol

To infinity... and beyond the original mission plan 🚀✨ European Space Agency - ESA has officially extended 13 science missions, giving spacecraft from BepiColombo and Mars Express to Solar Orbiter, Hubble, Webb and XMM-Newton more time to continue making groundbreaking discoveries. 🎉 But mission extensions are about more than science. Every additional year in space depends on the expertise of the teams that keep these missions operating safely and efficiently. At ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), the experts work behind the scenes to maximise scientific return while ensuring spacecraft remain safe and functional long beyond their original mission plans. 📡🛰️💯 A mission extension is a powerful vote of confidence, not only in the spacecraft and the science, but also in the people who make continued space exploration possible. To learn more about all that goes into launching and keeping space missions alive, click here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gdHHsjUT And if you're curious about these mission extensions, read more here 👉https://lnkd.in/eThZn-sH     📷 ESA     #ESOC #SpaceExploration 

📣 What can Earth’s clouds, aerosols and atmosphere tell us about our planet? Join us to find out! Come and join the 90th Darmstadt Space Dinner on Thursday, 30 July with guest speaker Bjorn Frommknecht, European Space Agency - ESA’s EarthCARE & Altius Mission Manager at ESRIN. Based at ESA’s ESRIN centre in Frascati, Italy, Bjoern has worked on ground segment development and operations for several Earth Explorer missions, including GOCE, CryoSat, Swarm and Aeolus. In 2022, he became Mission Manager for EarthCARE, ESA’s largest and most complex Earth Explorer mission to date. 🗣️ Talk: “Impossible Is Nothing: Revealing Earth’s Secrets with ESA’s Earth Explorers” 📅 Thursday, 30 July 2026, 18:00 CEST 📍 Braustüb’l, Goebelstraße 7, 64293 Darmstadt The Darmstadt Space Dinners offer a relaxed and inspiring setting to meet fellow space enthusiasts, industry professionals and curious minds from across the region. Registration closes on Tuesday, 28 July at 12:00 CEST and is restricted to 50 people. Registration is binding. Sign up here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e2sKs2Xa Spots are limited!