Senior Course 140 visit to ESRIN

During the last Study Period of Senior Course 140, focused on Future NATO, Course Members were able to visit the European Space Agency (ESA) Centre for Earth Observation, based in Italy and known as ESRIN, and to gained a better understanding of the agency’s mission

The European Space Agency has five specialized centres in Europe, and one of them is only 20km away from the NATO Defense College (NDC) location in Rome. Established in the city of Frascati in 1966, ESRIN’s main mission is Earth Observation.

Upon arrival, the NDC delegation was welcomed by the Director of Earth Observation Programmes and Head of ESRIN, Ms Simonetta Cheli, who provided a brief explanation about the work conducted at the Centre. She also highlighted how the Centre’s normal activities have taken on another dimension with the current situation in the world. This introduction was followed by a gift exchange between the head of ESRIN and NDC Dean Dr Christopher M. Schnaubelt.

The second topic of the day was the Copernicus Programme and ESA’s activities, in a briefing delivered by Simon Jutz, Copernicus Coordinator, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes. He explained how the Copernicus Programme works and presented its activities. He also touched upon the reasons for observing the Earth and the type of information such observation provides. After this, the Senior Security Coordinator of ESA-ESRIN, Pascal Legai, gave a briefing on ESA security-related matters, in which he outlined the steps taken in times of crisis.

The Director of the European Union Satellite Centre, Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, also addressed the NDC delegation. He spoke about the work of the Satellite Centre and the ways it collaborates with ESA, highlighting its mission and the main differences between both centres.

The group then broke out into subgroups for a tour of ESRIN taking in the Memorabilia Wall and the Experience Heritage Missions Walkthrough (HMW), while the other group heard lectures on Security Applications of Civilian Earth Observation – by Gordon Campbell, Head of Enterprise, Directorate of EO Programmes, ESA-ESRIN – and on Integrated Surveillance for Planetary Defence – by Juan Luis Cano from the Planetary Defence Office, Directorate of Operations, ESA-ESRIN.

Course members enjoyed a full day of comprehensive briefings, which enabled them to gain a better understanding of the Centre’s role and of the work it carries out on a daily basis.

NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Laura Garcia Pesquera, ESP C)