On 20 June 2024, Senior Course 144 visited the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) in Frascati, Italy.
The visit to ESRIN is an integral part of the Senior Course Academic Programme. It represents an important step to correctly understand the space domain, and explore possibilities of cooperation, along with their military implications. This visit is a clear demonstration of the long-standing cooperation between NATO and ESRIN spanning over 20 years. The visit’s programme was coordinated and facilitated by ESRIN, and it included both a series of briefings (by ESRIN and NATO lecturers), and a tour of the ESRIN facilities.
SC 144 started its visit with a warm welcome by Nicolaus Hanowski, Head of Mission Management and Ground Segment Department, and Major General Pascal LEGAI, ESA Security Coordinator.
Director Hanowski, introduced ESRIN’s main activities and its role within ESA, which included earth observation, space transportation, the ESA security office, and corporate IT. He highlighted the important role of ESA in accelerating the future of earth observation by fostering disruptive and commercial innovation with start-ups, NGOs, and academia. ESRIN is also a member of the “International Charter Space and Major Disasters”, a worldwide collaboration that involves more than 135 countries.
Course Members were briefed on the Copernicus programme, the Earth observation system led by the EU in partnership with ESA, as well as the security implications related to space and the transformative changes in the space domain. Briefers addressed NATO’s approach to space by explaining how essential the domain is for NATO’s deterrence and defence, how space enables all NATO operations and activities, and NATO’s space agenda for 2024.
The visit continued with a presentation on the security applications of Earth Observation and concluded with a presentation on the integrated surveillance for planetary defence, describing the detection, monitoring and mitigation of the risk of asteroids and the ESA’s space safety programme. Although the current telescopes used to discover new asteroids are mainly in the USA, ESA is also building a survey dedicated to discovering imminent impactors, and smaller asteroids on a direct collision course with Earth.
Lastly, the tour at ESRIN included a visit at the Earth Observation Multimedia Centre, the Earth data visualisation centre (Φ-Experience), the Heritage Missions Walkthrough and the Memorabilia Wall.
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