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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1574.PDF
678 FLIGHT, 2 November 1961 Missiles and Spaceflight EUROPE'S SPACE PROGRAMME First Details of ESRO Plans: New Research and Data Centres Proposed THE establishment of a European Space Technology Centre,a satellite-tracking and telemetry network, and a scientificprogramme ranging from sounding rockets to lunar orbiters and deep space probes are among the proposals presented to theEuropean Preparatory Commission for Space Research—fore- runner of the European Space Research Organization (ESRO)—at its third meeting in Munich last week. Although not yet official as far as the national governments involved are concerned, theprogramme put forward in the report of the scientific and technical working group to the meeting—and reported in detail for the firsttime in this article—will be the basis on which ESRO, when formed, will act. As a probable major customer of the proposed European spacelaunch-vehicle development organization, itself the subject of intergovernmental discussions in London this week, ESRO willobviously work in close co-operation with the launcher organi- zation, if formed, although the working group's report makes itclear that no formal amalgamation would be favoured by ESRO. As the following brief history indicates, the preparatory commissionhas lost little time in getting things moving, and in particular the production of a detailed technical and scientific programme agreedby eleven countries in just over six months is a major achievement. The European Preparatory Commission for Space Research wasestablished by the intergovernmental agreement signed in Meyrin, Switzerland, on December 1, 1960, which came into force onFebruary 27, 1961. The countries involved are Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain,Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The task of drafting a scientific programme was given to an interim scientificand technical working group set up at the first session of the Preparatory Commission held in Paris on March 13-14, 1961. This group had to consider not only the scientific desirabilityof the proposed projects, but also the technological implications and the time, personnel and funds which would be required. Thereport presented at the Munich meeting of the Commission followed a briefer programme report submitted to the secondmeeting of the Commission in the Hague in May this year. TABLE I: PROPOSED EIGHT-YEAR PROGRAMME SCHEDULE Years: I 2 I 3 Short-term projects; Sounding rockets* Medium-term projects.' Small satellites in near- Earth orbits Space probes Longer-term projects: Stabilized astronomical satellites Lunar satellites up to I 10 40 ! 65 4 65 — 5 65 6 — 6 65 4 2 2 7 65 4 3 65 * Equivalent to a reference rocket capable of carrying 50kg payload to 150km. The introduction to the working group's Munich report statesthat the main purpose of ESRO is to promote collaboration among European States in space research and technology, for whichpurpose it is necessary to establish a scientific forum. This forum should also guide the organization's scientific programme. Tocarry out this task, ESRO should provide for:— (1) the immediate development of rocket payload, satellite and spaceprobe technology to enable an agreed programme in space science to be undertaken(2) applied research in a number of areas of space technology in order to offer better facilities for a more advanced programme in spacescience (3) applied research of a longer-term nature, associated with forward-looking assessments of space missions, in order to indicate the technical possibilities for space science(4) opportunities for original research in space science beyond those which exist in the individual countries(5) launching vehicles and their launching, although ESRO should not be responsible for the development and production of launchingvehicles unless these cannot be satisfactorily obtained from a suitable source, and(6) means for the collection, reception and analysis of data, relevant to its function as a space research organization. ESRO should not compete, the report states, with universitiesand other research institutes in carrying out pure scientific research. Sir Harrie Massey, president of the European Preparatory Commission for Space Research Should a European launch vehicle organization be formed, closeco-operation with it by ESRO would clearly be necessary, but it would be important for ESRO to retain its autonomy becausethe purpose and membership of the two organizations would be different. The proposed fields of study could be divided into short-termprojects using sounding rockets, medium-term projects using small satellites and space probes, and major long-term projects involvinglarge satellites. The firings envisaged over an eight-year period from the formation of ESRO are shown in Table 1. To carry out this programme and to act as a centre for appliedresearch in space technology, the formation of a centralized Euro- pean Space Technology Centre is considered essential. Thefunctions of the centre would comprise the development and manufacture of rocket payloads, satellites and probes; appliedresearch in space technology of a short-term nature; applied research of a long-term nature; and the assessment of possiblescientific space missions based on forward-looking technical possibilities. Under the first heading, development and manu-facture would be carried out both by the centre itself and by contract with European industry, universities and other researchorganizations. TABLE 2: ESTIMATE OF EUROPEAN SPACE-SCIENCE MANPOWER RESOURCES Number of groups Staff with PhD or equivalent . Other staff of graduate status . Number of technicians Scientific groups who i have flown 1 experi- 1 ments at 1 present 15 50 60 . 75 Scientific groups planning experi- ments at present 25 50 65 85 Other groups in- terested in space re- search using ESRO facilities 15 30 35 40 Totals 55 130 160 200 490 The report proposed, in addition to the space technology centre,a tracking and telemetry network linked to a European space data centre. This centre would be responsible for the collection, reduc-tion and disti ibution of relevant data received from spacecraft and ground observatories, and for making predictions on satelliteorbits and solar and geophysical events. The data centre would also provide facilities and services to assist ESRO and co-operatingestablishments in the scientific analysis of data. The proposed scientific programme would involve the use ofseveral launching ranges and the firing of different types of satel- lites' launching vehicles and sounding rockets. Because of theimportance of a programme cf sounding-rocket firings in the auroral zone and the absence of adequate existing facilities, it issuggested that ESRO should create a nothern range for such firings. The best site is believed tc. be that at Kiruna, Sweden. These were the main points in summary from the workinggroup's report. More detailed information on specific aspects of the report is contained in the following paragraphs. Short-term Projects The short-term programme which ESROmight undertake immediately following its formation covers upper atmosphere physics for the auroral zone, upper atmospherephysics at lower latitudes and astronomical studies. All of these would be investigated by means of sounding rockets. Medium-term projects Small satellites, each containing somefive experiments, and small deep-space probes would be used in the proposed medium-term projects. The experiments listedwould not demand any particular location of a launching range, and were all suitable for polar orbits. As part of this programmethe report recommends that the European Space Technology Centre should develop recovery systems for satellites. Long-term Projects The report proposed that one largeproject—the development and launching of stabilized satellite astronomical observatories—be commenced as soon as possibleafter the establishment of ESRO. After two years a second major project should be established, consisting of the development and
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