European Space agency: ESA and Launch vehicles

S1 Ep:7 Space Titan 

ESA 

Introduction  

At first, look, when we were researching about the European Space Agency(ESA), we thought it almost dead organization working on some project here and there. After exploring more, I learned about some notable work that you guys also want to know. Do you guys know Esa spent twice as much as Russia, and Russia spent twice as much as China? But initially, like all organizations, they don't have that much money.  This article consists origin of ESA, ESA launch vehicles, and Missions.

ESA

Origin of ESA

After exploring, I learned that at the time Space war between the Soviet Union(USSR) and United States(US) around the 1960s to the end of the 20th century. So most of the scientists of European countries proposed the EU to make space organizations. The major role behind this proposition was played by Pier auger and Eduardo Amaldi in 1958.  So the European Union establishes initially 2 space bodies for the development of launch vehicles and other space activities. They were called the European space research organization(ESRO) built for developing vehicles. The other was the European launch development organization (ELDO) built for developing launch vehicles. For working of the space body, Geer group of the country formed in which 10 countries were part initially. The idea behind separating into two different organizations was to develop technology faster. And this was not it new small agency was created like the European space research institute(ESRIN)(1966) for monitoring the health of the earth by launching the satellites, European Space operation center(ESOC) (just after one year) for controlling other organization, and then European Space Research and Technology Center(ESTEC). Phew!

After establishing all space bodies, only ESRO was successful and fulfilled some requirements. But ELDO was facing issues related to technology, Cost, and politics. In 1972, Geer members decided to give the front seat to ESRO and the back seat to ELDO, But ELDO was not yet discarded. Around the year 1974, ELDO was discarded, and all resources were merged to form. In 1975, both ELDO and ESRO merged into one space body named European Space Agency(ESA). But before that, ESRO got the opportunity to work with NASA to build SpaceLab. Initially, as I said above main concern of scientists was the health of the earth. So they were launching the satellites to the nearest orbit from the earth, but later, Scientists understand that no Space agency doesn't have a human space program. So they tied up with NASA for the human program. ESRO developed many Spacelab for NASA for their vehicles which were used between 1983 to 1998. In 1975, Esa launched COS-B, which was their own first mission

In the Initial year when the alliance was called Geer, there were 10 members Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Italy, The Netherland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom. But after Establishing Esa, more than 12 members were added. After that list looks like Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In addition to that, Canada, Latvia, and Slovenia are non-full members.  

ESA Launch vehicle and Missions.

Vehicle of ESA

COS-B was the first own ESA mission that was launched to low earth orbit on 9 august 1975. The Aim of COS-B was to study Gamma rays in outer space. Mission was ended on 23 April 1982 took 6.5 years which was 4 years more than planned. By which ESA showcases the Quality of work they come up with. After that, In 1978, Canada Join forced with ESA and became a non-full member. Then ESA with NASA worked on a project called IUE. International Ultraviolet Explorer(IUE)(Explorer 57) was the first high orbit telescope. It was operational for 18 years. Launch on 26 January 1978 and decommissioned on 30 September 1996. After dismantling ELDO, there was no lunch program. So they came up with the ARIANE program. ESA was focusing on its launch program, and the first ARIAN launch happens in the year 1979. It served as the only commercial vehicle till the 1980s. ARIANE one was not good in capacity and usable as Spaceshuttle of NASA, but it was economical. Do you know the First commercial space agency or body was Arianespace? Arianespace was managing the space body of ARIANE vehicles created by ESA, but most parts were owned by countries like France, Germany, UK, etc. During this time interval, ESA was updating ARIANE vehicles. One of the vehicles which established ESA as one of the leading agency in the space market was a successor of ARIANE one called ARIANE 4. It was first launched in 1988 and used till 2003. ARIANE was a satellite launching vehicle, but ESA was also working Human carrying spacecraft. 

Harmes Spacecraft was ESA's1st crewed launch vehicle. Initially, the plan was to launch Hermes with ARIANE 4, but the launch vehicle could not handle that much power. Therefore, ARIANE 5 was in development. But the Challenger crash halts the whole globe's crewed mission and pressurizes all the Space agencies to rethink on Mission. Because of this safety precaution was updated became more strict which cause the crewed capacity became 3. Still, after all of this, the total weight of spacecraft was 21 tons, pushing the limits of the ARIANE 5 launch vehicle. This led to delay, and the program's cost was increasing, which eventually cause canceling of the main spacecraft. Around the 2010s, it was proposed again under the name of SOAR. In 2003, the Mars mission of ESA was successful. They called the mission Mars express. 

It was the first fully European mission to land on another planet. After that, it was able to land beagle 2 on the surface of Mars. Finally, after 2 years, ESA secures another milestone by landing the Huygens probe on Titan, which was the first landing in the outer solar system. Since then, ESA has co-operation With ESA and sent many astronauts to the International Space Station(ISS).