Listed in the top menu bar for this site are two tools we have designed to help researchers and space enthusiasts orientate themselves in the history of European space activities. Our space timeline gives snapshots of the milestones in the story of ESA, from the very beginnings in 1959, and is complemented by the space glossary where you can find biographies of the key figures and a quick reference to demystify the many acronyms that you might come across in our texts and images! Together, they give a comprehensive contextual background from which to explore the topics that most interest you.
We have set them up with an initial focus on the early years. Both to start the story at its logical beginning, and to help unravel the potentially complicated path that brought ESA into being (with the involvement of many national or international groups, committees, organisations or administrations). But our eventual aim is to add new ‘eras’ as we develop this site and its resources, in parallel with the periodic release of new years of historical images from our collections in the searchable SHIP database.
As part of this, we are pleased to unveil a new decade for the timeline, covering the years 1975 to 1984!
This second European space decade starts, appropriately enough, with the formation of ESA (from the ‘merger’ of its predecessors ELDO and ESRO) – which took place at the last European Space Conference in Brussels, in April 1975, on the adoption of the ESA Convention. (See the Convention signed by Member States above.) It covers the fruition of many projects that were initiated by ESRO, including the first ESA satellites, the first astronaut selection and some of ESA’s lasting accomplishments (the Ariane programme and Spacelab mission) and concludes with appointment of Reimar Lüst as ESA’s third Director General, following Roy Gibson and Erik Quistgaard, in the autumn of 1984.
All this took place against the backdrop, in the wider world, of the dawn of the personal computer, the oil crisis, Camp David Accords, AIDS epidemic and political and economic upheaval with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War. While closer to home, and close to our hearts, an important milestone in European unity and identity was reached with the first elections for the European Parliament in June 1979, also the first international election in history.
And not forgetting of course, the incredible evolution in music and contemporary culture of these years, from rock, disco, soul, punk and hip-hop to new wave and snyth. And that’s probably far from a comprehensive list.
We hope you enjoy rediscovering these years with us!