History of ESTL

• The European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL) was created in 1972 to provide a Centre of Excellence in all aspects of friction, lubrication and wear of mechanical systems in the hostile environment of space

• Since then, ESTL has made major contributions to the field of space and vacuum tribology, including performing real-time and accelerated life tests, developing solid lubricant film technologies and the characterisation of fluid lubricants for space

• Over the last four and a half decades, ESTL has supported all of Europe’s major space missions, evolving from an R&D focussed organisation into a independent commercial entity