The European Space Agency (ESA) said on Wednesday it will build a new €20 million facility at its European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, as part of a plan to bring all of its human and robotic exploration activities under one hub.
The project will relocate part of the Human and Robotic Exploration directorate currently based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands. The new building, planned for completion in 2028, will sit adjacent to the existing EAC complex.
Founded in 1990, the EAC houses ESA’s astronaut corps and handles astronaut selection, training, medical operations and mission preparation. The centre includes full-scale mock-ups of spacecraft modules used for simulations and crew rehearsals.
ESA said the expansion is intended to ease pressure on existing office space, which is at full capacity, and support a significant increase in on-site staff. “This new building is an important step in the evolution of our directorate,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. “We will almost triple the number of people on site, and the European Astronaut Centre will become our main hub for ESA’s exploration activities.”
Funding for the additional facility will be split evenly between ESA and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the centre is located. When finished, the enlarged site will serve as ESA’s operational centre for missions ranging from low Earth orbit to lunar and deep-space exploration.
The announcement was accompanied by the signing of a Letter of Intent between ESA, North Rhine-Westphalia and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which manages the broader infrastructure surrounding the EAC.
