P.V. “Onder de Loupe”, Noordwijk, 9 March 2015.

European Space Agency 1964-2014.

Fifty Years of European Corporation in Space as

Recorded on Postage Stamps and Covers.

by

Reno Harboe-Sørensen

former

European Space Agency/ESTEC

The Netherlands

Outline:

• Rocket Mail

• Early European Space Activities

• ELDO+ESRO = European Space Agency

• ESA Establishments/ESTEC

• ESA Spacelab/ISS (Dutch Astronauts)

• ESA Rosetta Mission

• Space Budgets

Rocket Mail: Karel Roberti 1934

• The first out of 9 tests in the Netherland with a

rocket carrying mail took place on the beach of

Katwijk aan Zee on 6 December 1934.

• by Karel Roberti/Nederlandsche Rakettenbouw (N.R.B.).

Rocket Mail: Gerhard Zucker 1935

• Between 1931 and 1933, Zucker performed several

rockets experiments in Germany before moving

abroad. At Katwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands, his

first rocket test took place on 6 March 1935.

• by Gerhard Zucker a German rocket engineer.

Rocket Mail: Karel Roberti 1935

• Photo and cover from the last rocket failure on the

beach of Katwijk aan Zee on 21 March 1935.

• Karel Roberti’s last rocket test P15 “Venus” in the NL.

Rocket Mail: Dr. A. J. de Bruijn 1945

• Dr. A. J. de Bruijn was a Dutch engineer who over

thirty years used most of his money on rocket mail

experiments. He sold rocket mail to defray some of

the high costs of his hobby. Below cover from 20

August 1945.

• De Bruijn/Nederlandsche Ruimtevaart Studio (NRS).

1st Satellite: USSR 04.10.1957

• Radio transmitted for 21 days. End of life 04.01.1958

• Sputnik-1, was the first Earth-orbiting artificial

satellite, launched 4 October 1957, with a Sputnik

rocket 8K71PS from Tyuratam, Kazakhstan.

• 83.6 kg (58 cm diameter), Scientific: Ionosphere

studies, Perigee/Apogee 227/945 km, Inc. 65°

5 & 25 Years Anniversary

USA Satellite: 1st 31.01.1958

• Explorer-1 (Alpha-1), was the first USA artificial

satellite, launched, 31 January 1958, aboard a

Jupiter C rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

• 14.6 kg, 5 kg Scientific payload: Geiger Counters

• Perigee/Apogee 358/2550 km, Inc. 33.2°

20 Year Anniversary

• Discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt!

Early European Space Activities:

• European movement towards cooperative space

research can be traced back to 1959.

• Meetings, conferences, congresses and symposia

eventually resulted in a European Space program

to start in 1964.

• 1960/61 covers from early conferences in Europe.

UK Satellite: 1st 26.04.1962

• Ariel-1 (UK-1/S-55), was the first UK artificial

satellite, launched 26 April 1962, aboard a Thor-

Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

• 62 kg, Scientific 6 instruments, Solar radiation study

• Perigee/Apogee 397/1202 km, Inc. 33.2°

• 6 Ariel satellites launched between 1962 and 1979.

Italian Satellite: 1st 15.12.1964

• San Marco-1 (A), was the first Italian artificial

satellite, launched 15 December 1964, aboard a

Scout-X4 from Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

• 115 kg, Scientific, payload worked for 272 days

• Perigee/Apogee 200/846 km, Inc. 37.8°

• 5 San Marco satellites launched between 1964 and 1988.

French Satellite: 1st 26.11.1965

• Asterix (A-1), was the first French artificial satellite,

launched, 26 November 1965, with a Diamant-A

rocket from Hammaguir, Algeria

• 42 kg, Payload: Radio Transmitter

• Perigee/Apogee 529/1797 km, Inc. 64°

• Antenna Damaged During Launch – no technology data

Dutch Satellite: 1st 30.08.1974

• ANS – Astronomische Nederlandse Satelliet, was

the first Dutch artificial satellite, launched 30 August

1974, aboard a Scout-D1 rocket from Vandenberg

Air Force Base, Ca, USA.

• 130 kg, Astronomy: X-Ray/Ultraviolet Telescope.

• Polar orbit of 266/1176 km.

Dutch Satellite: 2nd 25.01.1983

• IRAS – Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite, was the

second Dutch artificial satellite, launched 25

January 1983, aboard a Delta 3914 rocket from

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Ca, USA.

• 1077 kg, Astronomy: Infra-Red Telescope.

• Joint project of UK, USA and Netherlands (NIVR).

Ref.: tbs-satellite.com

SP Date Nation Rocket Spacecraft Orbit - km

1st 04-10-57 USSR Semiorka-R7 Sputnik 01 227/945

2nd 01-02-58 USA Jupiter C Explorer 01 347/1859

3rd 26-11-65 France Diamant 01 Asterix 527/1797

4th 11-02-70 Japan Lambda L-4S Oshumi 323/2416

5th 24-04-70 China Long March 01 Dong Fang

Hong

431/2163

6th 28-10-71 UK Black Arrow #4 Prospero 531/1402

24-12-79 ESA Ariane-1 CAT-1 125/14047

7th 18-07-80 India SLV 3 #2 Rohini 1B 307/921

Space Power Nations:

Europe in Space: ELDO & ESRO

• European Launcher Development

Organisation (ELDO), was created on 29th February 1964,

by 7 member states: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The

Netherlands, United Kingdom & Australia, with Denmark

having observer status.

• European Space Research Organisation

(ESRO), was created three weeks later on 20th March 1964,

by 10 member states: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,

Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden & United

Kingdom, with Norway and Austria having observer status).

ELDO Launcher: 1964 ‘EUROPA-1’

• Europe to build a space launch vehicle,

EUROPA-I.

• Tasks were to be distributed between nations:

• First stage, “Blue Streak”, United Kingdom

• Second stage, “Coralie” rocket, France

• Third stage, “Astris”, Germany

• Nose fairing, Italy

• Tracking systems, Belgium & Holland

• EUROPA launcher to be tested in 3 phases

• Launches to take place at Woomera, Australia

• 3 suborbital flights of the “Blue Streak” only:

ELDO Launcher: Phase 1 (1964).

• F1, F2 and F3 all successful flights.

• Europa: 1st & 2nd stage active, Dummy 3rd stage:

• :

ELDO Launcher: Phase 2 (1966).

• F4 flight terminated after 136 seconds - F5 successful.

• Europa: 1st & 2nd stage active, Dummy 3rd stage:

• :

ELDO Launcher: Phase 2b (1967).

• F6/1 2nd Stage Coralie failed to ignite and F6/2 to separate!

• Europa: 3 stages active + STV-1, -2 & -3.

ELDO Launcher: Phase 3 (1968).

• F7 3rd stage malfunction and F8 exploded, F9 STV-3 failed!

• Europa-I F10, the final flight never took place!

• European satellite launch activity then shifted to

Kourou, French Guiana

• Europa-II (Adding a fourth stage PO68)

• F11 launch took place 5 November 1971

ELDO Launcher: Europa-II (1971).

• F11 FAILURE, F12 abandoned!

ESRO Sounding Rockets: 1964-1972

• 1st Launch July 1964 from Sardinia, Italy

• 2nd Launch Oct. 1964 from Ile de Levant, France

• The last and 184th launch took place at Kiruna,

Sweden on 13 October 1972

• ESRO used 8 different rocket types!

ESRO Satellites: 1964-1975

• ESRO-2A was the first ESRO artificial satellite,

launched 29 May 1967, onboard a Scout-B

rocket from Vandenberg AFB, Ca, USA

• 74 kg, Scientific: Solar/Cosmic radiation studies

• Scout-B 3rd stage failure – spacecraft destroyed.

ESRO Satellites: 1964-1975

• ESRO-2B was the first ESRO Earth-orbiting

satellite, launched 16 May 1968, onboard a

Scout 62 rocket from Vandenberg AFB, Ca, USA

• 74 kg, Scientific: Solar/Cosmic radiation studies

• Perigee/Apogee: 326/1086 km, Inc. 97.2°

ESRO Satellites: 1964-1975

• Under ESRO another 6 successful satellite

launches took place with ESRO-1A and HEOS-1

in 1968, ESRO-1B in 1969 and HEOS-2, TD-1

and ESRO-4 in 1972.

• All orbiting and functioned close to planned performances!

ELDO+ESRO: in 1975 = ESA

• ELDO + ESRO = European Space Agency – formed on 30th May 1975, by 10 member states: Belgium, Denmark,

France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden,

Switzerland & United Kingdom (and later Ireland), with Norway,

Austria & Canada having observer status.

• ESA’s Purpose: ESA's purpose shall be to provide for, and

to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes,

cooperation among European States in space

research and technology and their space

applications, with a view to their being

used for scientific purposes and

for operational space applications systems.

ESA Satellite: 8th 09.08.1975

• COS-B, was the first (eight) ESA Earth-orbiting

artificial satellite, launched 09 Augustus 1975,

onboard a Delta rocket from Vandenberg AFB, USA

• 278 kg, Scientific: High-energy Gamma-ray telescope

• Perigee/Apogee: initial 337/99067 km, Inc. 90.2°

evolved to: 12155/87265 km, Inc. 98.4°

• Science data between 17.08.75 to 25.04.1982

ESA Satellite: 1975 - 2005

• Under ESA, more than 50 satellites or related

missions took place between 1975 and 2005. All

significant missions with some of the better known

being Meteosat-1 in 1977, Giotto in 1985, HST in

1990, SOHO in 1995 to Rosetta in 2004.

• Meteosat-1 in 1977 and Giotto in 1985.

ESA Launcher: 1st 24.12.1979

• ARIANE-1, Europe’s new space launch vehicle, was

successfully launched for the first time on 24

December 1979, as the first of four qualification

launches from Kourou, French Guiana

• Mass: 207.200 kg, Length: 50 m, Payload to GTO: 1850 kg

ESA Launcher: ARIANE

• ARIANE-1, -2, -3, -4 and -5, were launched 204

times between 1979 and 2011. Below table lists

type, total launched, success rate in % and dates.

• A-5 Mass: 780.000 kg, Length: 53 m, Payload to GTO: 8.6 t

Type Launches Success rate First launch

Ariane 1 11 81.8 % 1979/1986

Ariane 2 5 80.0 % 1986/1988

Ariane 3 12 91.7 % 1984/1989

Ariane 4 116 97.4 % 1988/2003

Ariane 5 60 94.2 % 1996/2011

Total 204 94.9 % 1979/2011

ESA: Establishments

• ESA Headquarter, Paris, France

• ESTEC (European Space Research and

Technology Centre), Noordwijk, The Netherlands

• ESOC (European Space Operations Centre),

Darmstadt, Germany

• ESRIN (European Space Research Institute), Frascati,

Italy – (ESA Centre for Earth Observation).

• EAC (European Astronaut Centre), Cologne, Germany

• ESAC (European Space Astronomy Centre), near

Madrid, Spain

• CSG (Guiana Space Centre), Kourou, French Guiana,

• ESTRACK (ESA Tracking Station Network) –

10 stations in seven countries.

ESA: ESTEC - RHS

• ESTEC (European Space Research and

Technology Centre).

Start: 01.06.1970

Retired: 31.08.2009

ESA: ESTEC

• ESTEC: Is ESA’s largest site and technical heart

• Today probably has about 2000-2200 staff

• Developing and managing all types of ESA missions

• Provide all the managerial & technical competences

and facilities needed to initiate and manage the

development of space systems and technologies.

• Operating an environmental test centre for

spacecraft with supporting engineering laboratories

specialized in systems engineering, components

and materials.

• Supporting European space industry and working

closely with other organisations .

ESA: ESTEC

• ESTEC: was official opened by H.R.H. Princess

Beatrix on 3 April 1968.

ESA/ESTEC: Technologist 1975

• Responsible for SEM equipments:

• Cambridge: S-180 with EDAX & SIMS

ESA Spacelab: 28.11.1983

• Spacelab SL-01 FSLP mission, the 1st Columbia

Flight (STS-9), had Ulf Merbold on-board as the 1st

ESA astronaut.

• 8145 kg pressure Module & 3386 kg Pallet: Multi-discipline

• Orbit: 250 km, Inc. 57°

• Spacelab - first ESA manned space project out of 22 flights.

ESA Spacelab: 30.10.1985

• Spacelab SL-D1 mission, the 4th, 3rd Challenger

Flight (STS-61A), had Wubbo Ockels on-board as

the 2nd ESA astronaut - first Dutch.

• 8145 kg pressure Module & 3386 kg Pallet: Life Science

• Orbit: 330 km, Inc. 57°

• Spacelab mission - Launch, on orbit and landing cover.

ESA Spacelab: Wubbo Ockels

• RHS - Nice memories of Wubbo Ockels:

• From SPACEPHIL at ESTEC 1979 and later

• Private working note from October 1986!

• 1986 was the year with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster!

ESA ISS: 19-30.04.2004

• ISS DELTA Mission, using the Soyuz TMA-4 atop

of a Soyuz-FG rocket, was launched on 19 April

2004 with André Kuipers, Netherland. Returned

back to Earth 11 days later aboard Soyuz TMA-3.

• ISS 375.727 kg – pressurized 837 m³

• Orbit: 360 km, Inc. 51.6°

• Kuipers conducted 21 different experiments in ISS.

ESA ISS: 21.12.11 to 01.07.2012

• ISS Mission 30, using the Soyuz TMA-03M atop of

a Soyuz-FG rocket, was launched on 21 December

2011 with André Kuipers (ESA), Donald Pettit

(NASA) and Oleg Kononenko (RSA).

• PromISSe was the first long-duration man mission for ESA.

ESA ISS: 21.12.11 to 01.07.2012

• ISS Mission 30, was very successful with TMA-03M

docking ISS on 23 December 2011 and returning

back to Earth landing safely near Zhezkazgan,

Kazahstan on 1 July 2012.

• André Kuipers spend nearly 6 months at ISS.

ESA Rosetta: Philae 12.11.2014

• Rosetta, was launched on 2 March 2004 by an

Ariane-5 G+ from Kourou, French Guiana.

• 2900 kg, inc. 1670 kg propellant & 165 kg science

payload + Lander Philae: 100 kg

• Objective: to rendezvous with Comet

67P/Churyomor –Gerasimenko, Travel: 6.4 bkm!

• Mission approved 1993, launched 2004 - Comet visit 2014!

Royal Delft Blue Rosetta plate #35/100

• ESA’s = € 3.7 billion • France 18.2 % = Return 18.2 %

• Germany 16.7 % = Return 16.7 %

• Italy 9.9 % = Return 9.9 %

• U.K. 6.8 % = Return 6.8 %

• Netherland 2.5 % = Return 2.5 %

• Denmark 0.8 % = Return 0.8 %

• NASA’s = $ 18.7 billion

• JAXA’s = $ 2.5 billion

• Russia’s = $ 2.4 billion

ESA: Annual budget 2010 -

RHS Final Comment: 9.03.2015

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Former Danish Astronaut!!: Reno Harboe Sørensen