 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
| First Prev [ 1 2 3 ] Next Last |
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to exploration of space and its exploitation. Its headquarters are in Paris, France. The ESA has a staff of about 1,900 and its budget was 2,700 million euro in 2003.
ESA's spaceport (its launch site) is the Guiana space centre in Kourou, French Guiana, a site chosen because it is close to the equator, thereby allowing easier (less fuel for a given mass) access to commercially important orbits such as GEO. ESA Mission Control ( ESOC) is in Darmstadt, Germany.
The Director General of ESA is Jean-Jacques Dordain .
The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organisation) was established on March 20March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). There are 286 days remaining. Events 1413 Henry V becomes King of England. 1602 The Dutch East India Company is established. 1739 Nadir Shah occupies Delhi in India and s, 1964Events January January 1 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. January 3 Senator Barry Goldwater announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for President. January 5 In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Ort per an agreement signed on June 14June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. Events 1381 King Richard II of England meets the leaders of Peasants Revolt. 1645 English Civil War: Battle of Naseby 12,000 Royalist forces are, 1962Events January January 1 Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand January 3 Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro January 4 New York City introduces a train that operates without a crew on-board January 8 Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is e. The ESRO's successor organisation ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre, based in NoordwijkNoordwijk (population: 24,658) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 51. 86 kmē (of which 15. 84 kmē water). It is the location of the headquarters for the European Space Researc, the NetherlandsDutch redirects here. For other uses, see Dutch (disambiguation). The Netherlands ( Dutch: Nederland is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a constitutional monarchy. It is located in northwestern Europe and borders the North Sea, Belgium) is still a part of ESA, though ESA itself is a much bigger organisation today. ESA in its current form was founded in 19741974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). Events January-February January 5 Dungeons & Dragons officially released. February 4 Patricia Hearst, the 19 year old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped, when ESRO was merged with the ELDO, the European launcher development organisation.
ESA comprises the national space organisations and other entities of these fifteen countries:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. France is the main contributor (see also CNES).Since January 1, 1979, Canada has the special status of cooperating state with the ESA. By virtue of this accord, Canada takes part in ESA's deliberative bodies and decision-making and also in ESA's programmes and activities. Canadian firms can bid for and receive contracts to work on programmes. The accord has a provision ensuring a fair industrial return to Canada. See also: Canadian Space Agency
Luxembourg and Greece will become full ESA members on December 2004 [1]. Hungary and the Czech Republic signed the five-year Plan for European Cooperating State (PECS), that is aimed at preparing the states for full membership. Their firms can bid for and receive contracts to work on programmes. The countries can participate in almost all programmes, except for the Basic Technology Research Programme. The membership fees are much lower than with full membership. Poland and Romania are likely to be the next to sign PECS documents [2].ESA has entered into a major joint venture with Russia (see below).
Currently, ESA is not within the structures of the European Union (EU) note that its membership contains non-EU countries such as Switzerland and Norway. There are ties between the organisations, with various agreements in place and being worked on, to establish the legal status of ESA with regard to the EU [3]. There are common goals between ESA and the EU, and ESA has an EU liaison office in Brussels. The EU in particular wishes to secure political control of Europe's space access, an issue of vital importance for Europe's political and economic role in the world.
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|