On Monday, the Space Applications department along with the Engineering department visited both the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) and EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites).
An early morning start, we began at CROUS (our residence in Strasbourg) for a 3-hour journey to Darmstadt, Germany.
Outside ESOC
It was a great opportunity to see inside mission control and explore the facilities around the centre.
ESOC Mission Control
ISU Space Applications Department in ESOC Mission Control
Classic ESOC sign
As we toured the site, I was amazed to see a full-size model of Rosetta – a mission on its way to explore comet 67P. A lander is due to land on the comet next year in 2014.
Rosetta full-size model at ESOC
Around the corner from ESOC is EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.
Outside EUMETSAT with Metop full-size model
EUMETSAT is an intergovernmental organisation created through an international convention agreed by a current total of 27 European Member States: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. These States fund the EUMETSAT programmes and are the principal users of the systems. EUMETSAT also has 5 Cooperating States.
27 member states and 5 cooperating states
Me forecasting the weather at EUMETSAT
