European Space Agency's European Tracking Station Network

European Space Agency's European Tracking Station Network is a global system of ground stations providing links between satellites in orbit and the European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany. The core network comprises six stations that track spacecraft through all phases of a mission, from launch to deorbiting. Each station features one or more antenna terminals with parabolic dish antennas and associated radio signal processing equipment, gathering radiometric data on location, trajectory, and velocity.