Mission control during EarthCARE launch preparations

The EarthCARE Flight Control Team inside the main control room at ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, during preparations for the launch of ESA's EarthCARE mission.

The 'simulations campaign' is an important part of launch preparations at ESA. It trains the Flight Control Team together with their support teams into a single, integrated Mission Control Team focussed on the mission's time-critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase as well as contingency operations. The team rehearse a series of intensive, real-time mission scenarios again and again, until they (and their backups) are able to handle all routine and unplanned situations.