Discover ESA’s largest space establishment (ESTEC) during the Open Day

Back to Index Agency N° 56-2025: Discover ESA's largest space establishment (ESTEC) during the Open Day 29 September 2025 On Sunday, 12 October, ESA ESTEC, our technical heart in the Netherlands, will host its 14th annual Open Day, welcoming around 10 000 visitors. ESA's largest establishment in Europe will offer people an unparalleled opportunity to meet space engineers, astronauts and explore actual space hardware. As we celebrate ESA's 50th anniversary this year, the theme for the 2025 Open Day will be 'Elevating the future of Europe: ESA's technical heart', highlighting ESA's technological leadership, our mission to inspire the next generation and our impact on Europe's prosperity. ESA ESTEC opens its doors for media and the general public on the day between 10:00 and 17:00 CEST. Visitors will be able to explore state-of-the-art facilities, interact with ESA astronauts and discover various job opportunities at ESA for students and young professionals. Media opportunities on the day include interviews with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, Head of ESA ESTEC and Director of Technology Dietmar Pilz, as well as Director of Human and Robotics Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander. ESA astronauts Rosemary Coogan, André Kuipers, Claude Nicollier, Thomas Reiter and Ulf Merbold will[AA1] [AA2] also be available for interviews. Media opportunities include Astronaut interview opportunities One-to-one interviews with Rosemary Coogan, member of the ESA Astronaut Reserve and Fly! Feasibility Study at the European Astronaut Centre. The study is assessing the conditions for astronauts with disabilities to work in space. One-to-one interviews with André Kuipers, a Dutch ESA astronaut and medical doctor, André broke the record for the longest European spaceflight in 2012 with 193 days aboard the International Space Station. One-to-one interviews with ESA astronaut Ulf Merbold, the first ESA astronaut to fly into space in 1983 and the first non-American to fly on a US Space Shuttle, with three missions including Spacelab-1 and EuroMir to the Mir space station.One-to-one interviews with ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, the first ESA astronaut to complete a long-duration mission on the Russian space station Mir in 1995/96, and the first German to perform a spacewalk. In 2006, he became the first European to undertake a long-term mission aboard the International Space Station, bringing his total time in space to 350 days.One-to-one interviews with ESA astronaut Claude Nicollier, member of the first group of ESA astronauts selected in 1978, flew on four Space Shuttle missions and played a key role in servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. Interview opportunities with the ESA Directors:One-to-one interview slots available with Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General; the Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality and Head of ESTEC Dietmar Pilz; as well as with the Director of Human and Robotics Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander.Inside the Test Centre. The ESTEC Test Centre is a unique environment with state-of-the art facilities able to reproduce the same environmental conditions experienced by a rocket or spacecraft in space. During the Open Day, the Hydra shakers, acoustic chamber (LEAF) and antenna testing facilities (HERTZ) will be on display. Specialists from the Test Centre will be present to answer any questions. Netherlands Space tent. Around 40 Dutch companies, institutes and organisations will showcase their latest innovations - from satellite technology and Earth observation to cutting-edge science and practical applications. It's a unique opportunity to meet a wide range of Dutch space experts and discover how space impacts our daily lives. Media registration Media are invited to register for the Open Day via the registration form by 14:00 CEST on Tuesday, 30 September. https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form/ Timeslots for interviews can be booked by contacting [email protected] or [email protected] Registration to the event is mandatory.For more information on the day and to keep updated on the general Open Day programme, please see ESA - Register now: ESA ESTEC Open Day 2025. Images ESA's Photo Library for Professionals:https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/Terms and conditions for using ESA imagesFor questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly [email protected] Videos ESA's Video Library for Professionals:https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/VideosTerms and conditions for using ESA videosFor questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly [email protected] About the European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe's gateway to space.  ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.  ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.  ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.  By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.  Learn more about ESA at https://www.esa.int