This collection comprises an initial selection of material formerly held by the ESOC Communications Office, related to the various communications activities of ESA’s two predecessor organisations – ESRO and ELDO – from their creation in 1964 until the establishment of ESA in 1975. Further material will be opened later in successive tranches.
The material available at present covers three main categories: communications or public relations events and activities related to ESRO sites; press and public relations material for ESRO programmes; and a small section of ELDO publications.
The former includes material on the foundation of ESRIN in September 1968 (in particular the ceremony and speeches for the laying of the foundation stone) and reports on other ESRO sites including ESDAC in Darmstadt (which later became ESOC), Redu in Belgium and ESTEC in Noordwijk (the Panorama of ESTEC 1972).
Programme-related material includes an article by Hermann Bondi and Johannes Ortner on ESRO’s programmes for 1969, information on ESRO’s application satellites programme, publications on the ESRO-1B satellite and press kits and programmes for the launches of the ESRO-1B and ESRO-4 satellites.
The ELDO material includes a publication on its equatorial launching base in French Guiana (today, Europe’s spaceport in Kourou) and a brochure on its Europa launcher.
More information
To browse the collection, enter the SHIP database and search for ‘esro publications’ or ‘eldo publications’.
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