On 21 July, ESOC welcomed Oliver Kaczmarek, Member of the German Bundestag, for a visit that underscored the strong ties between ESA and TU Darmstadt. His tour included a stop at the Concurrent Engineering Lab at TU Darmstadt, where innovation meets education in the heart of Europe’s space ecosystem.

The visit was an opportunity to highlight the ongoing collaboration between ESA and TU Darmstadt, a partnership that exemplifies European cooperation, sustainability, and problem-solving. The cooperation is carried through a “cooperative ESA – TU Darmstadt Professorship” for both, academic teaching and research.

One standout example is the TRACE CubeSat missionhttps://www.tudsat.space/trace, developed by TU students with support from ESA experts The TRACE mission is of direct interest for ESA's Space Safety Programme: It shall demonstrate in orbit space object identification, using a ground based laser and a retro-reflective foil on the satellite outer structure.  

From joint R&D projects to the “Space @ TU Darmstadt” lecture series, the cooperation offers students unique access to ESA’s expertise and infrastructure. On the other hand, ESOC can directly benefit from the Concurrent Engineering Lab (CEL) for all kinds of conceptual design topics. Most recently, the design requirements for a potential ESOC visitors centre were established in several Concurrent Engineering sessions at TU Darmstadt.

The proximity of ESOC, ESA’s mission control centre, allows students to engage with space operations, fostering talent and innovation in a truly European context.