ESTEC: ESA’s Technical Heart

Nestled beside the dunes of Noordwijk, on the Netherlands’ North Sea coast, is ESTEC – the European Space Research and Technology Centre – the largest space centre in Europe. But did you know that the decision to locate ESTEC in the Netherlands was made half a century in April 1962?

Celebrating 50 years of bringing space missions to life, 'ESTEC: ESA's Technical Heart' looks at the planning and development of the facility itself, which began in earnest on 1 January 1963. From designs drawn up in a garden house in Delft 50 years ago, ESTEC has become not only ESA's space hub, but also an essential part of the local economy and the Dutch knowledge and innovation infrastructure.