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ESA turns 30!
A successful track record for Europe in space
On 31 May 2005, the European Space Agency, whose Member States pool their
resources to pursue common goals for space utilisation and research, turned
30. Thanks to an impressive mission record, the Agency has placed Europe
and European industry at the forefront of space activities around the
world.
Yet, when it all started, a European success story in terms of space
activities seemed far away. The world was divided up by the two superpowers
into spheres of influence in which the Soviet Union and the United States
respectively sought to exploit their near-unassailable lead role, as much
politically as militarily, both here on Earth and in space.
However, in recent decades, in many areas of space research and utilisation,
Europe has managed not only to make up ground but has actually managed
to catch up with these space giants and is today an acknowledged partner
for both. Moreover, the Agency now reflects Europe's ranking as one of
the world's top space-faring pioneers – notably in space science,
Earth observation, telecommunications and launchers.
"ESA came into being on 31 May 1975, following in the footsteps
of its two parent organisations, ESRO and ELDO, and has now turned 30.
What an achievement! In such a short time, ESA has grown to become one
of the foremost space agencies in the world.
International cooperation - first among the Member States themselves
and then with other space-faring nations - has been the key to this success
story," says ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain.
"I am particularly honoured and proud to be the Director General
of the Agency today, as we celebrate its 30th birthday, in a year which
has already produced a number of spectacular successes - Huygens landing
on Titan, the launch of the new-version Ariane 5, the Eneide mission to
the International Space Station - to name just a few of the most striking
highlights."
"And for all these achievements, thanks are due to its Member States,
to all the ESA staff, contractors and all those who, in national space
authorities and in industry all over Europe, ever since the pioneering
days of the 1960s, have believed in ESA and have dedicated time and effort
to contributing to its growth. And there is still such a lot that all
of us working together can accomplish in future".
In the light of 30 years of continuing success, ESA is stepping up its
cooperation with the European Union in order to place the European space
sector at the service of EU policies and Europe's citizens. This cooperation
will further consolidate the joint European space effort and thus give
it a sustained international competitive edge. The European space policy
is being integrated within the wider ambitions of Europe. Particularly
in the areas of transport, the environment, security, agriculture and
technology, space is becoming an important strand of European policy and
is gearing itself up to respond to the needs of Europe’s citizens.
With European countries increasingly acting in concert, space activity
is set to become a much larger and more integrated undertaking in future,
with ESA adapting to take on an even greater role for Europe.
• ESA's beginnings
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