ESTRACK, Spacecraft tracking network operated from Darmstadt, Germany

ESTRACK is the European Space Agency's worldwide network of ground stations, operated from the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. Its core consists of seven ESA-owned stations: four near-Earth tracking sites in Kourou, Kiruna, Redu and Santa Maria, and three deep-space stations with 35-metre Cassegrain antennas at New Norcia, Cebreros and Malargüe, spaced about 120° apart in longitude.

ESTRACK grew out of ESRO, when existing facilities of member states were linked into one network. The first antenna of the network was a 15-metre dish built in 1975 at Villafranca near Madrid; after 42 years of ESA service it was handed to a commercial operator in 2017. In 1998 ESA decided to build its own deep-space network of three 35-metre parabolic antennas spaced about 120° of longitude apart, so that continuous contact with distant probes is possible despite Earth's rotation. The Redu station was transferred to EUSPA in 2024.

ESTRACK is run from the Network Operations Centre at ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany, which operates the core stations and all mission connections. The stations carry out satellite tracking, launcher support, ranging, deep-space communication and laser communication, and their services are also offered to other space agencies. The network's name comes from ESA tracking stations.

The facility is located in a remote area of Western Australia and is generally not open to the public for regular visits, though occasional tours can be arranged in advance. Planning ahead is essential if you wish to see the site, as access requires prior arrangement with the managing organization.

ESTRACK is not one site but a worldwide network: three stations in Europe, one in Australia, two in South America and one in the mid-Atlantic. The three 35-metre deep-space antennas sit about 120° of longitude apart, so Earth's rotation never breaks contact with a distant probe. The farthest signal received came from Cassini, 1.44 billion kilometres away.