In August 1975, just months after the signature of the Convention establishing the European Space Agency (ESA), ESA launched its first satellite: COS-B. Fifty years on, ESA and the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) have digitised and made available for consultation files related to this pioneering satellite, widely recognised for its important contributions to the field of gamma astronomy.
COS-B started its journey in July 1969 when it was approved by the Council of the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), ESA’s predecessor organisation. The satellite operated successfully for nearly 7 years, until 1982, collecting important scientific data and permitting the mapping of space in gamma rays.
The newly digitised archival files cover the period from 1972-1978. They include information on subjects such as minutes from a 28 May 1975 meeting of the Working Group for COS-B mission readiness; orbit phase operations; the acquisition of launching services; the use of THOR Delta launchers, the adaptation of COS-B satellite design to Delta launcher requirements; and status reports on the launch and first orbit of COS-B.
The information in these archival files is enriched with images and documents already accessible through the European Centre for Space Records’ SHIP database, managed by the European Centre for Space Records (ECSR) at the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) in Frascati, Italy. The database preserves and makes available images from the COS-B satellite project, as well as materials from other missions and events that have marked the history of the European Space Agency.
About the ESA holdings at the HAEU
The HAEU has hosted the historical archives of the ESA since the signature of a first deposit agreement between the ESA and European University Institute on 12 May 1989. The two organisations have signed further agreements, the most recent being in December 2020.
The ESA-related holdings comprise the European Preparatory Commission for Space Research (COPERS), the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), the European Conference on Satellite Communications (CETS), the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), the European Space Conference (ESC), and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Photo credit: COS-B gondola crown triggering telescope in 1973, by H. Burer © ESA ECSR.