The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Housed at ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, the Large Diameter Centrifuge (LDC) is not designed for astronaut training but specifically for research. Jointly financed by ESA and the Dutch government, it is available for a wide variety of applications. The 8 m-diameter LDC can operate at up to 20 g, with four gondolas able to accommodate up to 80 kg of payloads, with a central gondola as a control. Two additional gondolas can be attached to mid-arm to provide different g-levels simultaneously. Experiments can be spun for up to six months non-stop.