A History of the European Space Agency

Transcription

1 SP-1235 April 2000 A History of the European Space Agency Volume II The story of ESA, 1973 to 1987 by J. Krige, A. Russo and L. Sebesta European Spate Agenty Agente spatiaie europeenne

2 Ill Contents Authors' Preface xi Chapter 1: The Transition from ESRO and ELDO to ESA and the Drafting of the ESA Conventionl 1.1 The reform of ESRO The main programmes Esrange and Esrin Other matters: launchers, coordination The demise of ELDO The Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou The new European Space Agency and its Convention The harmonisation of programmes in a single European space organisation Industrial policy Programmes and activities ' Launchers The final European Space Conference in April Chapter 2: The Development of ESA, 1975 to The Science Programme The Aeronautical Satellite " The Telecommunications Satellite Programme The Meteorological Satellite Programme The Ariane family of Expendable Launchers Spacelab and its Scientific Utilisation Laying the foundations for the future. The long-term programme and the 65 Ministerial Conferences in the 1980s Chapter 3: The Scientific Programme between ESRO and ESA ( ) 3.1 Introduction The Scientific Programme in the new ESRO framework The question of scientific advice and the role of the LPAC Discussing future Scientific Programmes The SPB decision on the study programme for The Scientific Programme in transition The selection of feasibility studies The recommendations of the Solar System Working Group The recommendations of the Astrophysics Working Group The LPAC makes its recommendation and the SPB endorses it Outlines for European space research in the 1980s From ESRO to ESA 117

3 IV 3.10 Discussing the new projects The Working Groups' recommendations The SAC recommendation G. Colombo's dissenting opinion and the Spacelab question The approval of the ESA participation in the Space Telescope programme The approval of the Out-of-Ecliptic mission Epilogue 132 Chapter 4: The Definition of ESA's Scientific Programme for the 1980s 4.1 Discussing a long-term strategy for ESA's scientific activities "Classical" and "new" space science disciplines The SAC's vision of European space science in the 1980s "Has ESA been goodfor science?" The content and dimension of ESA 's Scientific Programme The role of Spacelab (and Ariane) More money for science? The Council's answer is no Studying future scientific projects The comets and the Moon ' The selection of ESA's next scientific mission The comet and the stars: telex lobbying The SPC decision Giotto andhipparcos adopted Epilogue 174 Chapter 5: Towards the Turn of the Century 5.1 Studying new scientific projects : Feasibility studies GRIST and POLO abandoned ISO selected as new scientific project The start of a new planning cycle Planning the future Towards Horizon The financial outlook for the Scientific Programme A new approach to ESA's space science The Horizon 2000 long-term plan Scientists' lobbying Horizon 2000 approved First implementation of Horizon Epilogue Concluding remarks 222

4 Chapter 6: The Third Phase of the Telecommunications Programme: ECS, Marecs and Olympus 6.1 Discussing Phase-3 of the Telecom Programme The H-Sat proposal and the telecommunications package deal concept ECS operations in the 1980s and Phase-3 bis of the Telecom Programme The first Council Meeting at Ministerial Level Negotiations on all fronts ESA-Eutelsat negotiations for funding ECS operations Changes in the Marots specifications The MESH offer for the ECS development contract Selection of the H-Sat Contractor Which mission for H-Sat? The New Package Deal Proposal The End of the Package Deal Concept The ECS Programme and the Approval of Phase-3 bis The ASTP Programme From Marots to Marecs The End of the H-Sat Concept and the Start of Two DBS Programmes in Europe The L-Sat Concept and the Adoption of the Olympus Programme Epilogue 278 Chapter 7: The European Meteorological Satellite Programme 7.1 Introduction The changing field of meteorology in the 1960s and 1970s First steps towards a European meteorological satellite: 290 From EARS to EMOS to Meteosat 7.4 Meteosat: From French to European satellite The space segment: interfacing with CNES. 299 The management and control of the Europeanised Meteosat The ground segment: interfacing with the users 302 The responsibilities of national meteorological services in data analysis and satellite operation 1.5 The start of the programme The STAG ' The third channel and the Lannion ground station The ongoing technical problems with ground facility computer and software The launch of Meteosat The first debates: ESRO/ESA Will operate the system for three years The second launch Extending the Protocol to cover the exploitation of F The first steps towards setting up an operational system: 327 building coalitions, rebuilding trust in ESA The Initiatives taken within the WMO framework New initiatives from ESA January 1981: The first Intergovernmental Conference on 333 an operational system and the subsequent deadlock 7.13 The activities of the MOP Working Group The space segment: the satellite and its pay load The space segment: the launch schedule and the revival of P Ground segment management The cost of the operational system 343

5 VI The scale of contributions Institutional and legal instruments The second Intergovernmental Conference, the plenipotentiary 349 conference and the birth of Eumetsat 7.15 Closing remark: Why the sudden acceleration? 352 Chapter 8: The Aeronautical Satellite System: an Example of International Bargaining 1.1 The meaning The actors The first ESRO-NASA contacts, The first official American position on satellite telecommunication 366 for international civil aviation operations, January 'There is room for mild optimism, but we have a lot of hard work ahead of us': 368 towards the first ESRO - FAA Memorandum of Understanding, June-December "About-face on Aerosat': the deadlock on the ESRO-FAA 372 Memorandum of Understanding 1.7 A fresh start The FAA opts out What next? Epilogue 385 Chapter 9: The Decision Taken in the Early 1970s to Develop an Expendable European Heavy Satellite Launcher 9.1 The political and economic context The failure of Europa II i Europa IIIB and the Shuttle 'sortie module' ' Summer The Franco-German split on launcher policy 397 and the emergence of LUIS 9.5 The French decision to develop a new heavy launcher The Ministerial conferences in December 1972 and July The British position The arrangements for the execution of the launcher programme Ariane's architecture, cost and development plan Financing and industrial return Management and control The production phase /75. Early snags In Paris In Washington 419

6 Vll Chapter 10: The Availability of American Launchers and Europe's Decision "To Go It Alone" 10.1 The "technological gap" Intelsat and NSAM Military concerns: nuclear sharing problems in NATO 429 and US-USSR non-proliferation policy 10.4 The changing policy of Europe in space Setting the rationale for an increased US-European cooperation Liberalising American policy vis-a-vis launchers technology and services The Post-Apollo programme and the permanent Intelsat agreements Conclusions 449 Chapter 11: The Move from Ariane Development to Production and the Establishment of Arianespace Introduction The promotion series The management scheme Pricing policy: The producers hesitate to take the plunge Pricing policy: Shifting the burden of production to the users The establishment of Arianespace The first initiatives and the setting up of a private European launcher company Launching policy Pricing policy The TCI Affair The charge The consultations The outcome 488 Chapter 12: Extending the Family. The Upgrading of Ariane-1 and the Decision to Develop Ariane Ariane Follow-on Development The Preparatory Phase The four slice solution Ariane Ariane-5 : 507 Chapter 13: Spacelab in Context A: The first phase: Introduction Early European-US contacts Spacelab in the European context The legal instruments 531

7 Vlll B: The implementation of the programme, Introduction The early involvement of industry General guidelines for payload selection and the institutional 544 framework of the programme 13.8 The management: early challenges and creative solutions Beyond the "sacred limit" of 120% Duplication avoidance Follow-on production (FOP): the second Spacelab The Spacelab follow-on development (FOD) programme: 559 Spacelab improvements and the start of Eureca C: Concluding Remarks Chapter 14: The European use of Spacelab 14.1 The appeal of a scientific laboratory in space The reactions of scientists Planning ESA's Scientific Programmes in the 1980s and the role of Spacelab The first Spacelab mission The definition of a European model payload The problem of funding The scientists' concern The definition of the first Spacelab payload A new proposal for the FSLP project The unhappy end of the LIDAR Thejcontroversial approval of the Sled The final definition of the FSLP... and the Sled slips out A later mission for the Sled The Spacelab Utilisation Programme and the funding of the FSLP The abandonment of the demonstration mission concept Epilogue 602 Chapter 15: The Space Station A: The European Background 15.1 Introduction The ESA context European interest in-orbit infrastructures The Preparatory Programme for Long-Term Space Transportation Systems 617 (STS-LTPP) Columbus up to its presentation to the European partners Getting users aboard. A missed opportunity? 622 B: The American offer and European reactions The American decision to build a Space Station European early reactions Towards a Long-Term Space Programme 629 Setting the stage for a new package deal in ESA Clarifying American offer and European position 631

8 IX European contribution to the Space Station: 633 from STS-LTPP to the Columbus Preparatory Programme Columbus gets European The Ministerial Council meeting of Rome (January 1985) Columbus as the core of the European participation to the Space Station 643 C: The Space Station as an international enterprise: 1985 up to the 1990s Negotiating the final agreements on the Space Station (1985 to 1988) ' The 1988 IGA Some interpretative issues The legal form of the agreement and the settlement of disputes Genuine partnership" Control and jurisdiction The "peaceful use" Other points Focussing on the European laboratory The implementation of the Space Station Programme 667 Epilogue 673 Bibliography 685 Index 693