The European Space Agency signed a contract with German architecture firm H2S Architekten on 14 May for the construction of a futuristic new satellite control centre. The new control centre will be built at the agency’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany.
ESOC was opened on 8 September 1967 to provide satellite control services to ESA’s predecessor, the European Space Research Organisation. According to the agency, several of the facility’s buildings are now reaching the end of their operational lifespans. To maximize efficiency and minimize its environmental impact, the agency has selected to replace several older builders with one new building.
The new control centre is expected to cost €25.6 million. It will be around 22 metres high, 56 metres long, and 35 metres wide. The construction of the new building is part of a broader modernization of ESOC. A total of €52 million will be spent, with the remaining funds being used to renovate or demolish existing buildings, some of which date back to the 1960s.
Once complete and operational, the futuristic new control centre will have the capability to support multiple launches or critical operations in parallel and will offer an energy-efficient and adaptable home for the agency’s current and future missions.
“ESA’s new operations centre will be efficient, sustainable, adaptable, and accessible,” explained the head of the ESOC site, Rolf Densing. “The new building will ensure Europe’s continued ability to implement its most ambitious space missions and will serve as an inspirational window into the world of spacecraft operations for experts, the public, and decision-makers.”
Construction of the agency’s new satellite control centre will begin in 2025 and is expected to be completed by March 2027. The complete modernization of the ESOC site is expected to be completed in 2030.
