The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European University Institute established the European Space Agency Postgraduate Research Grant in 2022 to support primary research in the ESA fonds held at the Historical Archives of the European Union. Financed by the ESA, the grant supports early career researchers working on historical aspects of European cooperation in space.
Two early career scholars have been awarded the 2025 grant.
Federica Giaccio, PhD candidate at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, will carry out a research project entitled “Europe's Path to the Stars: Space Diplomacy, Strategic Autonomy and the Making of ESA.” This project traces the origins and institutional development of the European Space Agency and its predecessors, reframing it as both a scientific and diplomatic actor during the Cold War. By investigating how Europe carved its own trajectory in the space age—balancing Atlantic dependencies with aspirations for strategic autonomy—the research highlights the role of scientific diplomacy, supranational integration, and political vision in shaping ESA’s foundation. Federica will draw on Edoardo Amaldi’s networks and rich archival sources and employ a methodology that integrates Global History, the History of Science and Technology (HST), and Public History. Her project aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Europe’s identity formation and evolving role in global space governance.
Nicolas Leroy, doctoral candidate at Sorbonne University, will pursue his project entitled “France and the Conquest of 'Useful Space': Origins, Stakes, and Development of the European Ariane Launcher Programme, 1970–1980.” This project investigates France and Europe's response to the strategic and technological challenges of space exploration in the 1970s and early 1980s, focusing on the development of the Ariane programme, which represented a decisive step toward European autonomy in civilian launch capabilities. Nicolas aims to examine the interplay between political, industrial, and institutional actors, as well as the broader shift from symbolic space exploration to the commercial and technological utility of space—particularly in the field of telecommunications. His project analyses the creation of Arianespace in 1980 as a milestone reflecting a uniquely European model of state–industry collaboration, shedding light on the political and industrial transformations that shaped Europe’s space ambitions during a pivotal decade.
Photo credit: Professor Edoardo Amaldi (centre) and Dr Valente (left) from the Rome Academy of Science, Italy's new delegates to ESA's Science Programme Committee, visiting ESTEC's test facilities on 1 March 1979, by R. Duhem. © ESA ECSR.