The European Space Technology and Research Centre, ESTEC – ESA’s single largest establishment, nestling beside the sand dunes of Noordwijk, the Netherlands. In place for more than half a century, ESTEC is the incubator of the European space effort, where most ESA projects are born and where they are guided through development. Involvement may start with initial mission planning, research projects or laboratory support, extending to the testing of entire spacecraft in the ESTEC Test Centre, the largest facility of its kind in Europe.