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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Like mariners of old, spacecraft steer by the stars – using combinations of telescopes, cameras and computers called startrackers to recognise stellar constellations to calculate their own position in space.
The test bench seen here generates an artificial star-like light source to test the optical performance of startrackers.
Part of the Guidance and Navigation Control (GNC) Attitude and Orbit Control (AOCS), and Pointing Laboratory, based at ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands, this test bench combines a two-axis precise rotating table with a single star simulator – simulating the light coming from infinity from a star of a given brightness and colour.
Produced in house by the lab team, the purpose of this facility is to characterise or calibrate a startracker in terms of distortion, chromatic aberration and other optical variables.
The GNC, AOCS and Pointing Lab works on manner of technologies related to a spacecraft’s ability to derive its orientation and location in space. It is one of a suite of ESA technical labs addressing all aspects of spaceflight.
The labs are focused primarily on the needs of ESA and European space missions but are also available for institutions and companies of ESA Member States when possible.