New Force at a New Frontier

A comprehensive work on the European space sector.

This is a comprehensive work on the European space sector. Written by an acknowledged expert and former space agency official, the work opens up a vital component of Europe's technostructure and the world's space programmes. Its mass of information will serve the insider as a handy reference.

Preface; About the author; 1. Introduction: space, a tale of several Europes; Part I. The Genesis of Cooperation: 2. Rockets, the Cold War and Sputnik's civilian legacy; 3. Blue Streak's fate and the end of British Tripartism; 4. Going from the very small to the very big: the impulse towards space research in Europe; Part II. Europe's First Space Organizations: 5. Parallel paths into space: ELDO, ESRO and their charters; 6. The building of Europe's early space capacity; 7. The advent of international satellite communications and Europe; 8. Now let's play launcher redesign - ELDO's early tribulations and attempts at reform; 9. A forum for crisis - the European space conference; 10. Metamorphosis: the transformation of ESRO, ELDO's downfall and a Franco-German space pact; Part III. The European Space Agency: 11. The ESA convention and ESA's basic institutional system; 12. ESA's first generation and continuation programmes; 13. ESA's second generation programmes: man in space and the long-term plan; 14. Infrastructure; 15. Selected aspects of ESA practice; 16. International cooperation; Part IV. The Wider European Space Field and its Issues: 17. The role of national space programmes; 18. The operational and commercial sector; 19. Issues of utilization and competition; 20. La Grande Europe and space; Part V. Conclusion: 21. Synthesis and conclusions; Abbreviations; Glossary.