Two planets in space

Space Science Operations

Supporting your mission planning, process and operation

We deliver end-to-end Space Science Operations services, supporting planetary, astronomical, and heliophysics missions across their full lifecycle.

Credit: NASA
Illustration of Mercury magnetosphere. Credit: ESA
Credit: ESA

End-to-end Space Science Operations Services

The Space Science Operations service support spans a broad and integrated set of activities covering planetary, astronomical, and heliophysics missions throughout their full lifecycle, from mission planning to operations, data processing, and long-term archiving.

Support is delivered to major planetary missions such as EnVision, JUICE, Mars Express, ExoMars/TGO, and BepiColombo, as well as to astronomical and heliophysics missions including Euclid, Athena, LISA, Ariel, PLATO, XRISM, CHEOPS, Cluster, Gaia, INTEGRAL, Solar Orbiter, and XMM-Newton.

Science and Mission Planning & Payload Operations

Activities encompass scientific and mission planning, including strategic and long-term science planning, definition and maintenance of instrument operations, validation of operational scenarios, payload opportunity analysis, preparation and verification of payload commanding, and the development and maintenance of planning pipelines and software.

ESA Operation Centre, ESOC
Photo: Ritchie Kay, ESA

Data Processing, Calibration, and Scientific Operations Support

A strong focus is placed on planetary and astronomical data processing, calibration, validation, and quick-look analysis, as well as on payload operations and the development, maintenance, and validation of mission-critical software, including science planning and payload operations tools.

For astronomical missions, support extends to proposal preparation and peer review, coordination with other observatories, community helpdesk services, validation of scientific products and software, archive validation, and dissemination activities.

Science Archives

We provide end-to-end support for science archive systems, including the development, evolution, and operation of archive software, data ingestion pipelines, metadata management, long-term preservation, and user access services. These activities cover the complete software lifecycle, from requirements analysis and implementation to DevOps, maintenance and operational support, ensuring reliable and scalable access to mission data. These services are completed by dedicated SPICE services providing mission geometry data, auxiliary data handling, training, and consultancy.

Two persons at a desk with computers, talking to each other.
Engineers at the German Operations Center

Ground Operations, IT Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity

In parallel, comprehensive ground operations support is delivered to Payload and Science Operations Centres, covering planning systems, instrument engineering, operational procedures, and enhanced services during launch and commissioning phases.

In addition, services include support to IT infrastructure and cybersecurity activities, addressing the operation and maintenance of critical IT systems essential to science operations and archives. This includes secure system configuration, monitoring, vulnerability management, incident handling, and compliance with security policies, ensuring robust, resilient, and secure environments for mission-critical services.

Image: GSOC in Gilching, Germany

Stories

Engineering the backbone of space missions

16:11 November 17, 2025

Meet Ilja Verspohl, a System Engineer at SSC in Germany....

Precision and passion: Meet the engineers steering Solar Orbiter

13:03 March 25, 2025

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft is operated from ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, with support from industry partners including SSC....

Sentinel 2C launch preparations

09:09 September 11, 2024

The Sentinel-2C satellite lifted off on 5 September. In ESA’s operations center (ESOC) the mission controllers were ready after lots ...

Portrait photo of Davide Starnone

Davide Starnone

Managing Director, The Netherlands and Italy

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