Europe's Space Programme

In Europe's Space Programme - to Ariane and Beyond, author Brian Harvey begins with the fledgling European rocket effort of the 1930s and the key pioneers of the period, examining the significance of the V-2 and the technological advances represented by its development. He shows how the Russians and Americans put their captured V-2s to work, but the European countries were slower to respond. Both Britain and France developed national space programmes in the 1950s and 1960s and the early attempts at European co-operation for launcher development - ELDO and ESRO - are described. The formation of the European Space Agency and the origins of the successful Ariane launcher programme are discussed and Europe's subsequent success in the world launcher market, its cutting-edge role in space applications and European manned spaceflight, are all described in detail.

From the reviews:

"The book is split into seven chapters, covering early rocket development, the European rocket and satellite organizations … and their resultant merger as ESA, the national programmes, specific spacecraft programmes, manned spaceflight and a look towards the future. … The book is well illustrated with black and white photos. … It is … a well written and accessible account of Europe’s achievements in space. … What the book does well is take the overview that a truly European programme deserves." (International Space Review, September, 2005)

"Brian Harvey’s excellent retrospective looks beyond just the European Space Agency to cover all European space activities. … Harvey also shows how the multinational ESA finally made European space co-operation a reality, after years of trying." (Sean Blair, Astronomy Now, May, 2004)

"This book is a comprehensive account of the development of the European Space Programme … . The book highlights the contribution of the European Space Agency’s scientific work and its continuing technological achievements … . Europe’s Space Programme gives a fascinating insight into the politics, science and organisation of the European Space work and the national enterprises involved. This is an important book … . This is a splendid book … . Everyone should read this book." (Richard Broughton, AURORA, November, 2003)

"This is a fine book, a good example of how to write technical text. Its subject matter, the development of the European space programme, although full of interesting characters and Machiavellian plot lines, in less-able hands may well have been handled in a ploddingly dull manner. Harvey brings it to life, not with literary fire but with careful explanations and enough detail to tell the story but not so much that it becomes a moronic fact sheet." (Barry Kent, The Observatory, Vol. 123 (1177), 2003)

"Europe’s Space Programme: To Arianeand Beyond is a book well worth having on your reference shelf. It gives a detailed but highly digestible account of the birth of the ESA (European Space Agency) and its activities right up to the end of 2002, and is both useful and entertaining. … A five-page list of acronyms and abbreviations near the beginning of the book is convenient … . There are around 120 illustrations, many of them of significant historical interest." (Anna Nolan, Astronomy & Space, July, 2003)

"Europe’s Space Programme is a book of great ambition. It attempts to describe Europe’s achievements in space over the past 60 years, starting with the successful launch of the first V2 rocket … . Europe has witnessed such rapid and dramatic political and economic changes since then that Brian Harvey’s ambitious venture deserves our admiration … . the book succeeds in presenting the European space effort as a major success." (Roger-Maurice Bonnet, Physics World, September, 2003)

"This is really a good reference book which fits nicely in the series of other space books that Springer has published in the last few years … . Brian Harvey’s book is recommended to the readers." (Jos Heyman, News Bulletin of the Astronautical Society of Western Australia, Vol. 28 (8), 2003)