ESAC stands for European Space Astronomy Centre. It is a research and technology center located in Madrid, Spain and is operated by the European Space Agency (ESA).
ESAC is responsible for the scientific operation of several spacecraft, as well as the development of new technologies and the archiving and dissemination of scientific data.
Examples of the activities that take place at ESAC include:
- The scientific operation of spacecraft such as the XMM-Newton and Integral observatories, and the Gaia mission which maps the Milky Way galaxy.
- The development of new technologies for space missions, such as new detectors and data processing algorithms.
- The archiving and dissemination of scientific data from space missions, which is made available to the scientific community and the general public.
- The organization of scientific workshops, conferences and schools to train and inform the scientific community about the latest developments and results in space science.
ESAC is an important center of excellence in space science and technology, it provides a vital support for the scientific exploitation of the data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) scientific missions and support the scientific community to carry out their research. ESAC also plays a key role in the development and implementation of the scientific program of the European Space Agency.