Spaceflight Europe - ESA Ariane: Books - History

In the Footsteps of Columbus : European Missions to the International Space Station

The European Space Agency has a long history of human spaceflight, flying in space with both NASA and the Soviet/Russian space agencies over the years.
This book tells the story of the ESA astronauts who have visited the International Space Station over its first decade and how they have lived on board, helped construct the space laboratory and performed valuable scientific experiments.

ESA has contributed the Columbus science laboratory as well as the Copula, the Leonardo PMM and the ATV supply ship to the station's infrastructure but it is the human endeavor that captures the imagination. From brief visits to six month expeditions, from spacewalking to commanding the Earth's only outpost in space, ESA astronauts have played a vital role in the international project.

Extensive use of color photographs from NASA and ESA depicting the experiments carried out, the phases of the ISS construction and the personal stories of the astronauts in space highlights the crucial European work on human spaceflight.

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Europe's Space Programme : To Ariane and Beyond

On 3 October 1942, the first modern rocket was built and flown by German scientists. Sixty years later, the European space industry is the third most successful programme in the world.
This book is the first comprehensive account of the development of the European space programme, from the pioneering work of the first inventors through to the successes and failures of the Ariane launcher enterprise.

The book highlights the contribution of the European Space Agency's scientific programme and its continuing technological achievements, setting the programme in the context of the international space community.
Europe's Space Programme gives a fascinating insight into the politics, science and organisation of the European space programme and the national enterprises involved.

Table of contents:
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- List of figures
- List of tables
- The first real rocket
- European cooperation - ELDO and ESRO
- The national space programmes
- The European Space Agency (ESA) (1974 - )
- Scientific and applications programmes
- European manned spaceflight
- The future of Europe in space
- References and further reading
- List of European space launchings
- Notes
- Index

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Ariane, une épopée européenne

On December 24 1979, Ariane L01 took off from Kourou in French Guiana. This inaugural flight, coupled with a success, marked the entry of the European launcher into a market dominated by the United States and the Soviet Union.
Forty years later, Ariane launchers continue to brilliantly carry a technological and commercial success considered exemplary. A success that Ariane 6 will be responsible for extending in the face of fragmented competition where historical players are confronted with the ambitions of emerging countries and individual companies.

With often unpublished documentation and numerous interviews with the actors of this epic, this new expanded edition with a preface by the president of the National Center for Space Studies, Jean-Yves Le Gall, brings back to life from the Second World War to the present day a human adventure that pushed Europe to erase its industrial and political divisions to give itself the means to maintain autonomous access to space.

An essential book for those passionate about space and great human enterprises. New expanded edition of the work published in September 2007.

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Das Ariane-Programm (Raumfahrt-Bibliothek)

An indispensable contribution to space travel and therefore also to the German "Raumfahrt Bibliothek" series is the remarkable Ariane program, with which Europe - similar to Airbus in aviation - launched a highly successful rocket and space transport program independent of the USA and Russia. The European Space Agency (ESA) is responsible.

This unique and fascinating reference work spans from the rather slender "Ariane 1" launch vehicle from 1973 to the impressive "Ariane 5" of today.

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