European Space Agency (ESA) and the Astrolabe

The headquarters of the European Space Agency stands out for the twelve massive, curved concrete arches that flank the main entrance. These structures hold up the building while framing a bronze sculpture of an astrolabe, a tool once used by navigators to map the stars. In nineteen seventy-six, the agency chose this site to centralize its international operations. Scientists and engineers from across the continent gathered here to coordinate satellite launches and orbit maneuvers that define the modern space program.