Drone inspection

In September 2016, the team at ESA’s deep-space tracking station at Cebreros, near Madrid, Spain, ran a series of test flights to image the antenna using a Dji Phantom 3 drone controlled with an iPad.

The team were trialling use of a drone to perform routine maintenance inspections of the station’s massive 35-m dish antenna and the supporting structure. It may also be an effective option for inspecting the site’s fencing and other facilities.

We’ve cut some of the video they recorded into a half-minute teaser, which provides excellent views of the gorgeous white station, the site and its buildings and the surrounding countryside.

“We really see the effect of the forest fire that occurred few years ago – there are no pine trees any more on the drive from the main highway to the antenna – and we can also see the benefits of our well-maintained firebreak, which saved the station during the same forest fire,” says Lionel Hernandez, station manager.

ESA’s Cebreros station, DSA 2 (Deep Space Antenna 2), is located 77 kms west of Madrid, Spain. It provides routine communication with deep-space missions including Mars Express, Gaia and Rosetta.
More information on Cebreros station

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Cebreros_-_DSA_2
Cebreros webcamhttp://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/ESTRACK_Cebreros_webcam