ESA Operations, Engineering & Space Safety

🏥 Bringing space and medical innovation together With a record number of speakers, including European entrepreneurs and academics, #ESOC 's Innovation Café felt almost like a small conference!     Rüdiger Trojok opened with his talk about the work ongoing at MEDEA Biopharma to create extensive biobanks for bacteriophages for innovative treatments in the world where antibiotics are losing their power.     Following him, Felix Kamieth described how his start-up Deep LS applies machine learning for computational drug discovery and drug development.     To completely change the topic, Yannis Papadopoulos joined us from the National Technical University in Athens, explaining how know-how from the wearable electronics industry exploiting the properties of microscopic lasers can enable non-invasive real-time measurement of intracranial pressure of astronauts during EVA. With a palpable result of his work in his hand Enrico Brega from DaXem, a late-stage start-up that has developed an impressive surface treatment technology for lasting disinfection of surfaces – a virtual viral and bacterial repellent, named VireXbuster. And finally, things got even more tangible as Karel Pěnička took the stage with his 3D printed skeleton arm, describing the impressive ways the 'trisurg' team at Klinika Dr. Pírka applies 3D printing to fix human bodies, from tailored braces for traumatic bone injuries and precise guides for bone screws application, all the way to temporary implants. The next Innovation Café is planned for 12 November, with the title Fresh Minds’ Café.     If you’re a student or a (not so recent) graduate looking to innovate, perhaps with ESA, or you’re somebody who wants to meet those fresh minds for your own networking, register for a personal invitation here: https://lnkd.in/ee3kdf8g 

📣 You have until 14 October to discover the fascinating world of spacecraft operations ESA is offering a 4-day technical course that will take participant through the broad spectrum of disciplines involved in space mission operations.  On the programme: 🔶 Lectures by ESA experts specialised in the different mission operations domains.   🔶 Hands-on experience in mission operations  🔶 A challenging team simulation set in #ESOC ’s famous Main Control Room, the heart of ESA mission operations.    Register now 👉https://lnkd.in/gsJgfPgK 

Join us for to celebrate #HeraMission, at #ESOC for the public event on the 7th October. Registration needed, see below. It'll be fun whatever the weather, hope to see you there! #Spacesafety

🛰 Goodbye Sentinel-1B! End of transmission.  On 12 September, after months of deorbiting and passivation, ESOC operators finally switched off #Sentinel1 B, after 8 years of operations.  This uncommon but necessary operation helps make way for the next satellite in the constellation: Sentinel-1C. The switch off was the final step of a meticulously planned and executed decommissioning, which included:  💠 Orbit clear-up, to free up space for future Sentinel satellites.  💠Final orbit placement, from which the satellite would naturally decay and burn up in the atmosphere within 24 years.  💠Passivation, to remove as much stored energy as possible, and the active shut-down of all powered systems.  "Shutting down a satellite is like bidding farewell to a colleague. It is a sad moment but is also a time to connect one last time with the project's team before advancing forward to the next project", said @Tom, Sentinel-1B spacecraft operations engineer. Last Thursday, the final signal from the spacecraft was received by the Svalbard ground station, just before the onboard transmitter, which communicates with ground control, was completely switched off.  Sentinel-1C satellite is scheduled for launch at the end of the year and will ensure continuity of essential radar data for Sentinel services and applications.  Learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/es6WbkM7

📣 Join us in Darmstadt to find out about the software used for #MissionOperations On 25 September, the monthly Darmstadt Space Dinner is giving you the opportunity to exchange with Mauro Pecchioli, ESA Multi-Mission Infrastructure Programme Manager at ESOC! Mauro is an aerospace engineer who has sent his first command to a flying satellite in August 1989 and his last one in August 1996. After being a user of the first multi-mission control system developed and used operationally at ESOC, Mauro has been involved in the main projects related to the evolution of mission operations support systems at ESOC, first focussing on their specification and then eventually on their design and production. As such, he has witnessed the complete evolution of the software-based control systems at ESOC, from the early days till now.     🗣️ Are we really special?  📅 Wednesday 25 September, starting at 18:00   📍 Braustüb’l, Darmstadt       The Darmstadt Space Dinners present the perfect informal opportunity to connect with fellow space enthusiasts, professionals and dreamers from Darmstadt and beyond!  Secure your spot by registering here before 23 September at noon:   👉 https://lnkd.in/e6dhRQ_8 #ESOC #SpaceIndustry #TechConference 

👏👏 Today, we celebrate the next 24 signatories of the #ZeroDebris Charter at ESA’s Industry Space Days! Two dozen more companies, research centres and international organisations confirmed their dedication to the long-term #sustainability of human activities in space and signed the Charter. The momentum is with us! European Space Agency - ESA is supporting the Zero Debris Charter and its community in the European space sector to transform #SpaceDebris mitigation and remediation practices: ▶️ New standards and Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines have been published, the community is coming together and now we can work together on the realisation of a sustainable future in space.   ▶️ Currently, the goals and guiding principles of the Zero Debris Charter are being translated into actionable and measurable technical targets through crowdsourcing within the community. ▶️ New technologies will be developed that are necessary to achieve these realistic-yet-ambitious targets. Learn more about the Zero Debris Charter, its goals, the development process, and how to register your organisation's intent to sign: https://lnkd.in/eneEHjrC Today’s Zero Debris Charter signatories:  AIKO - Infinite ways to autonomy, arcsec, Arribes Enlightenment, Control Data Systems SRL, Ecosmic - WE ARE HIRING, Expleo France, Gama GATE Space, Holistic Innovation SL, HPS S.R.L., IdeaDuctus, International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL), Leiden University ISISPACE Group, Latitude, LMO, PEAK Technology, Planetek Italia, Sensmetry, Sonaca, Space Analyses GmbH, SpaceLocker, SPAICE, Terma Group, Vimotek AB ESA Operations, Engineering & Space Safety

#ESOC is at the ESA Industry Space Days! ESOC works hand-in-hand with industry to ensure that Europe and European industry stay at the forefront of satellite operations. Driving transformation in this domain includes leading the development of the ground systems of the future including novel mission operations, digitalisation, new ground stations, advanced ground data systems, optical communication, solar system internet.   ESA's Industry Space Days 2024 are a great place for companies to discover ESA Operations' future priorities, explore business opportunities, and meet directly with our experts in one-to-one sessions. Partners might be interested in work with us to…   🏢 Build the most modern and representative future mission control centre worldwide.  🔦 Develop the market for optical communications, establish common technology standards, expand applications   📟 Develop AI-based solutions for automating mission operations activities, from maintenance to testing and validations, to diagnostics and routine operations  ☄ Facilitate the integration of technologies for the space safety market.    Do you want to learn more about business opportunities? 🔗 Participants can arrange 1-to-1 meetings: https://lnkd.in/e9sVG63p  🔗 or visit our B2B website: https://esoc.esa.int/  Or simply visit us at the ESA stand!  #ISD2024ESA

🛰 A smooth start to life in orbit for #Sentinel2 C     Following a successful launch last Thursday, Sentinel-2C is ready to begin its mission!     Teams at ESOC have been working around the clock to complete the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP). ESA’s Flight Dynamics team determined the exact orbit that the satellite had been inserted into by its Vega launcher, and ESA’s Space Debris Office regularly scanned this orbit to ensure it was free of any risk of collision with another spacecraft or piece of debris.     “Overall, Sentinel-2C's LEOP went very smoothly, and we were able to complete all of the necessary activities a little earlier than planned,” said Flight Operations Director Franco Marchese.     “The satellite is in great shape and the commissioning phase – during which we will ensure that its multispectral imager payload is ready for routine operations – started on Monday.”     Learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eNCVcxnf Peter Collins

🛰 #Cluster re-entry: ESOC bids farewell to one of its oldest active missions     Over the past days, weeks and months, ESA’s spacecraft operators kept a close eye on Salsa, the first of four Cluster satellites to return home, as it came closer to Earth.     In a grand finale, on 8 September, the satellite was captured in Earth’s atmosphere and began to burn up over a remote area of the South Pacific Ocean.     #ESOC operators bid an emotional farewell to the 24-year mission that saw many of them begin their career, train and become operations experts.     Many waited impatiently for the pictures collected by the aircraft, crowding around the computer in the hope of being the first to see the satellite's final moments. Others monitored the signal sent from the satellite and waited for the 'flatline' symbolising the end of the mission.     “By studying how and when Salsa and the other three Cluster satellites burn up in the atmosphere, we are learning a great deal about re-entry science, hopefully allowing us to apply the same approach to other satellites when they come to the end of their lives", said Rolf Densing, ESA Director of Operations.

Cluster's historic finale: world-first targeted reentry captured from the skies 🌍✈️ After over two decades of delivering invaluable space weather data, ESA’s Cluster mission has reached an extraordinary conclusion. Last night, "Salsa," the first of the four Cluster satellites, made a world-first targeted reentry. The event was even captured from a plane, marking the first-ever recorded observation of a satellite reentering from a high-speed orbit! In January 2024, ESA’s spacecraft operators at #ESOC made precise adjustments to Salsa's orbit, ensuring the reentry would target a remote area, minimising risks. The team closely tracked the spacecraft’s trajectory, slightly adjusting it to keep it on course. This mission highlights #ESA’s expertise in deorbiting satellites safely, reducing space debris, and leading the way in sustainable space practices. More details about this incredible achievement, check out ESA Space Safety and the full article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eyj-mNh9 Bruno Sousa #ClusterMission #SpaceSafety #SustainableSpace #ESOC #MissionControl #Satellite #Spacedebris 📸 ESA/Astros Solutions/ROSIE. Acknowledgement: Image taken by Ranjith Ravichandran and Gerard Armstrong.