This collection contains selected digitised references from the historical set of ‘ESRO SP’ and ‘ESA SP’ (Special Publications) monographs and proceedings. They were issued first by ESRO (with an approximate chronological numbering system) from 1966 to 1975 and subsequently by ESA’s Publications Division from 1975, following a codified numbering system, with references issued in rough chronological order.
The SP series was considered the most prestigious of ESRO and ESA’s technical publications, and the audience was generally considered to be scientists, industry or the space-interested public. The series was therefore intended for the publication of scientific or technical information of value to, or derived from ESRO/ESA programmes, such as sponsored conference proceedings, data compilations, handbooks, or special bibliographies.
In the words of a 1968 ESRO Guide for Authors: ‘The ESRO SP is a formal document, often consisting of a number of papers on related topics. Proceedings of conferences, symposia, and colloquia are always issued as SPs, as are the proceedings of the ESRO Summer Schools. The SP may also be used for handbooks and manuals. The approval of the appropriate member of the ESRO Directorate is required.’
The ESA SP-XXX Conference/ Symposium Proceedings series aimed to publish proceedings no later than 12 weeks after the event. By the late 1980s, the proceedings were generally prepared in black and white camera-ready form; exceptions could be made where colour illustrations were essential, but their extra costs were charged to the relevant directorate.
ESA SP-XXXX, the Agency’s scientific/technical monograph series, was intended for major works on ESA’s various scientific and applications missions and scientific/technical activities, directly related to its programmes. Occasionally legal documents were also published as SPs, such as SP-1285 from 2005, ‘Space Law Teaching in Europe’. Requests for ESA SP-XXXX publications were approved by the relevant director.
The physical collection in the ECSR Archives covers the period 1966 to 2019, with 29 ESRO SP publications (from ESRO SP-3 to ESRO SP-104) and 1310 ESA SP publications (860 ESA SP-XXX and 450 ESA SP-XXXX). A large part came to the ECSR from the ESA Library, whose collection had been formed through many donations from individual members of staff. Most of the 1339 references in total, were published in English, with a small minority in other languages including just over a dozen in French and a handful in other languages including Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish (these consisted of copies of the ESA Convention in the languages of Member States, which at one time were published as SPs).
A selection of 16 ESRO and XX ESA SP publications from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s have recently been digitised as a first tranche of material in this digital collection.
To browse the collection of ESRO/ESA SP, enter the SHIP database and search for ‘ESA SP’.
Once you have selected a copy, SHIP’s image viewer allows you to select your preferred viewing mode by clicking the 'image viewer' icon on the right of the top header bar.