German Space Operations Center, Mission control center in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
The German Space Operations Center is a mission control facility near Munich that manages national and international space missions. Eight operational control rooms coordinate different missions, with the largest room, K1, dedicated to Launch and Early Orbit Phase operations.
The facility emerged from Germany's decision in the 1960s to participate in international space projects, with construction beginning in 1967. It became the first facility outside NASA to take control of operations when it directed Payload Operation Control during a major shuttle mission in 1985.
The center represents Germany's commitment to international space collaboration and carries the name of its location near Munich. Visitors can observe how teams from different nations work together daily to manage shared space projects.
The facility features specialized rooms for different operations organized on a single level, making it straightforward to navigate during a visit. Tours of the center offer the best opportunity to see the daily work of the teams managing space missions.
The facility monitors specialized satellites that work in a carefully coordinated formation to observe Earth from space. These satellites fly in precise arrangement to create detailed maps of the planet's surface, serving research and monitoring purposes.
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