#ThisWeek in 1972, 31 January, #ESRO's Highly Eccentric Orbit Satellite #HEOS-2 was launched on a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the first satellite to explore Earth’s northern polar region from a highly-eccentric orbit (pic: ESA historicalarchives.esa.int) 🧪🔭 #Space #History

What was ESRO's ‘Blue Book’? How did it come about and what is its wider significance, both then and now?

Check out the latest deep dive from #ESAarchives to 1961! 👇

#OTD 6️⃣0️⃣years ago: 24 September 1966, the #Esrange rocket range at Kiruna in Sweden was inaugurated, ESRO's launch base for sounding rockets.

Article for 50th anniversary:
www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA...
Archive info:
historicalarchives.esa.int/esro-soundin...

@science.esa.int @transport.esa.int

#ThisWeek in 1964, 6 July, #ESRO’s first sounding rocket was launched from Salto di Quirra, Sardinia, Italy 🚀

www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... @transport.esa.int @ita.esa.int

#OTD 29 May 1967, #ESRO-2A 🛰️ was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Unfortunately the 4th stage of its #NASA #Scout launcher failed to ignite, leaving the satellite to burn up on reentry.

#OTD 6 July 1964, ESRO’s first sounding rocket was launched from Salto di Quirra, Sardinia, Italy 🚀

Article from 50th anniversary in 2014:
www/esa.int/Abou...

@transport.esa.int @ita.esa.int @science.esa.int

This week in 1968... 3 April, ESRO's new European Space Technology and Research Centre, ESTEC, in Noordwijk was inaugurated by Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands. ESRO was one of the forerunners of @esa.int!

Article from 2018 👇 www.esa.int/About_Us/50_... @technology.esa.int

#ESAarchives tours from the Swedish and Norwegian Arctic Circle to the French and Greek islands to find out more about ESRO’s 'Sounding Rocket' activities, constructing the Kiruna range and the 1966 annular solar eclipse campaign in Karystos, Greece. @transport.esa.int @science.esa.int

Extra deep dive into #ESAarchives - here's ESA-predecessor ESRO's stand at Le Bourget in 1973! 🤓

@esa.int @cnes.fr @siae.fr #ParisAirshow #SIAE2025

#OTD: 31 January 1972, #ESRO's Highly Eccentric Orbit Satellite #HEOS-2 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the first scientific satellite to explore Earth’s northern polar region from a highly eccentric orbit 🌍 (pic: ESA)
See more in ship.esa.int/ISS/search.jsp

#OTD 5 December 1968, ESRO's HEOS-1 launched from Kennedy Space Center. HEOS-1 was the first European satellite to venture beyond near-Earth space, studying magnetic fields, radiation and solar wind.

🔗https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/136386/45th-launch-anniversary-first-european-interplanetary/

#OTD 24 September 1973, signature of the #Spacelab MoU between #ESRO and #NASA in Washington DC, by Alexander Hocker for ESRO and James Fletcher (NASA). Also present were Charles Hanin, chairman of ESC, Prof. M. Levy, Chair of ESRO Council and ESRO's Roy Gibson.

www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

The project was solidified in February 1973 during a symposium at ESRO's ESRIN site in Italy, where European scientists selected their specific hardware contributions (which became ISEE-2), paving the way for the spacecraft launches in 1977 and 1978.

arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/...

#OTD: 1 January 1966, #ESRO's ESRIN facility was formed in Frascati, Italy. Staff were installed in temporary accommodation in the Park Hotel (the foundation stone for the new building would be laid in September 1968).

Article on 50 years of ESRIN in 2018👇
www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA... #OnThisDay