Personnel for a local European Space Agency (ESA) tracking station have been given the same legal immunities as diplomatic consuls, according to Government.An ESA station is currently being set up on the Island to monitor the launch of a Soyuz rocket, due to set off this December, from Kourou in French Guiana.A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure said the local ESA tracking station will receive and send on telemetry data from the rocket once it loses contact with Kourou, and before it makes contact with another tracking station in Canada.According to an October 14 notice in the official gazette, four ESA staff posted to the Island are to be given immunity from suit and legal process.Bermuda granted the immunities under the Consular Relations Act of 1971. The spokeswoman said: “ESA has requested that Bermuda allow them to set up their Transportable Station on the Island and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as required, has consented to Bermuda making bilateral agreements with them on their requested mission project.”France’s four space centres around the world will monitor the launch and tracking of the rocket.Other scientific missions may follow the Soyuz take-off, and continue to use Bermuda-based tracking facilities.