European Space Agency
With regard to the International Space Station (ISS) ESA is not represented by all of its member states: 5 of the 17 countries have opted out either because of concerns about the expense of the project or lack of interest. ESA is taking part in the construction and operation of the ISS with contributions such as Columbus, a science laboratory module that was brought into orbit by NASA's STS-122 Space Shuttle mission and the Cupola observatory module that was completed in July 2005 by Alenia Spazio for ESA. The current estimates for the ISS are approaching €100 billion in total (development, construction and 10 years of maintaining the station) of which ESA has committed to paying €8 billion.[29] About 90% of the costs of ESA's ISS share will be contributed by Germany (41%), France (28%) and Italy (20%). German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter was the first long-term ISS crew member.
As of 2008, the spacecraft establishing supply links to the ISS are the Progress, Soyuz and Space Shuttle. ESA has developed the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for ISS resupply. Each ATV has a cargo capacity of 7,667 kilograms (16,900 lb).[30] The first ATV, Jules Verne, was launched on 9 March 2008 and on 3 April 2008 successfully docked with the ISS. This manoeuvre, considered a major technical feat, involved using automated systems to allow the ATV to track the ISS, moving at 27,000km/h, and attach itself with an accuracy of 2 cm. No other spacefaring nations or space agencies currently possess this automatic rendezvous and docking capability, considered key to future space exploration. With the Space Shuttle reaching its retirement age in 2010, until NASA has a replacement for it such as COTS (the CEV is not expected to make its first operational manned flight before 2012) the ATV together with Progress, Soyuz and the Japanese transporter HTV (which will be ready in 2009) will be the only links between Earth and the ISS.
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See also
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References
- ^ http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/SP1271En_final.pdf
- ^ ESA Portal - Press Releases - ESA turns 30! A successful track record for Europe in space
- ^ ESA website article on cooperation (especially with Russia). [1]
- ^ Interview with Jean-Jacques Dordain by Jaxa in 2005. [2]
- ^ Cosmic Vision 2015-2025: and the candidate missions are.... Retrieved on 2008-04-03.
- ^ http://www.esa.int/esapub/annuals/annual05/ESA_AR2005.pdf ESA annual budget for 2005
- ^ Following its ratification of the ESA Convention, Luxembourg has become ESA's 17th Member State with effect from 30 June 2005.
- ^ CONVENTION for the establishment of a European Space Agency, Annex 1 Resolution 8 page 116
- ^ PECS: General Overview
- ^ AP: European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain, centre, arrives for a meeting with Czech Premier Mirek Topolanek in Prague, Tuesday
- ^ ESA: Czech Republic becomes second ESA European Cooperating State
- ^ ESA: Hungary and the Czech Republic sign ECS agreements with ESA
- ^ ESA: Romania becomes third ESA European Cooperating State
- ^ ESA: Poland becomes the fourth ESA European Cooperating State
- ^ ESA: Estonia signs Cooperation Agreement with ESA
- ^ Slovenian government comunication office: Slovenian Government and ESA Sign Cooperation Agreement
- ^ Slovenia Times: Cooperating With ESA
- ^ ESA: Slovenia signs Cooperation Agreement with ESA
- ^ a b ESA Portal - ESA and the EU
- ^ Figures regarding the ESA budget and the three biggest contributors to it. [3]
- ^ Information on Ariane 5 provided by ESA. [4]
- ^ Article by ESA on the launch date of Soyuz from French Guiana. [5]
- ^ ESA information on the cooperation with Russia on the Soyuz spacecraft. [6].
- ^ EuroNews report about the joint venture
- ^ ESA's Vega BrochurePDF (122 KiB)
- ^ Spaceflight Now | ATV Mission Report | Europe's new cargo freighter safely docks to space station
- ^ Article in the Guardian from May 22, 2005 [7]
- ^ ESA information on its relationship to the EU. [8]
- ^ ESA website on the International Space Station and its share of the costs. [9]
- ^ Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Utilisation Relevant Data Rev. 1.2. ESA ERASMUS User Centre.
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Further reading
- Bonnet, Roger; Manno, Vittorio (1994). International Cooperation in Space: The Example of the European Space Agency (Frontiers of Space). Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-45835-4.
- Johnson, Nicholas (1993). Space technologies and space science activities of member states of the European Space Agency. OCLC 29768749 .
- Peeters, Walter (2000). Space Marketing: A European Perspective (Space Technology Library). ISBN 0-7923-6744-8.
- Zabusky, Stacia (1995 and 2001). Launching Europe: An Ethnography of European Cooperation in Space Science. ISBN B00005OBX2.
- Harvey, Brian (2003). Europe's Space Programme: To Ariane and Beyond. ISBN 1-85233-722-2.
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External links
- ESA Portal – official website
- European Space Agency – Encarta entry
- A European strategy for space – Europa
- European Space Agency – The Space Fellowship esa news category
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