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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The Optical Ground Station, OGS, is a cryogenically-cooled 1-m diameter telescope within a domed observatory, equipped with a titanium-sapphire laser and state-of-the-art photon detectors to pick up optical communication signals from either low or geostationary orbit. The OGS is hosted at Teide Observatory, operated by Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, IAC, up at 2 400 m altitude, well above the cloud layer, and at the closest to the equator of any ESA Member State territory.
Managers from ESA’s Mechanical Department andexperts from the Opto-Electronics section, responsible for managing OGS, met with IAC representatives to mark the silver anniversary and discuss the future role of the OGS.