ESOC and EUMETSAT, Darmstadt

EUMETSAT:

EUMETSAT stands for European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellite and is the European operational satellite agency monitoring weather, climate, and the environment from space. Headquartered in Darmstadt, EUMETSAT boasts of an impressive and state-of-the-art campus from which weather data is collected and used for weather forecasting and environmental monitoring.

More information about EUMETSAT can be found on their official website.

ESOC:

ESOC stands for European Space Operations Center. Its centre in Darmstadt designs and controls space missions. From here, the worldwide network of ESA ground stations is operated to maintain contact with the missions. ESA’s space security activities to protect against threats from space are also based here.

More information about ESOC can be found on their official website.

A 90-minute guided tour of the EUMETSAT and ESOC facilities provides an excellent opportunity to explore the campus, learn about their work, and appreciate the tasks undertaken by these organizations.

The highlight of both tours is a visit to the control room. In addition to showing the control room, various models of satellites are shown, and the tour guide explains the missions.

There are three ways of getting tickets for your visit to these facilities:

Purchase tickets at the Darmstadt Marketing Shop in Luisenplatz .
Book your tickets online at: https://www.darmstadt-tourismus.de/besuch/stadtfuehrungen/esa-und-eumetsat.html
Book your tickets to visit EUMETSAT through GetYourGuide. Note

If you don’t live in Darmstadt and plan to visit it from another city, you can get a Darmstadt City Card, which allows you to use all public transport and offers discounts at numerous cultural and leisure facilities.

Also, check out my article: Top 15 Places to Visit in Darmstadt.

Here are some more pictures of EUMETSAT and ESOC.