ESA Convention Booklets
Latest version: 8th edition published in November 2019 as ESA SP-1337
The beginnings of an independent space organisation in Europe were in the early 1960s, with the creation of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) and the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO).
In 1975, a convention was concluded at diplomatic and ministerial level to set up one ‘European Space Agency’, effectively merging ESRO and ELDO. The new Agency’s remit not only covered launchers and science but also operational space applications systems such as telecommunications satellites.
Following the entry into force of the ESA Convention in 1980, the founding members were joined by Ireland later the same year, then Austria and Norway (1986), Finland (1995), Portugal (2000), Greece and Luxembourg (2005), Czech Republic (2008), Romania (2011) and Poland (2012). The latest to join were Estonia and Hungary in 2015, becoming the 21st and 22nd Member States.
This latest pocket edition has been updated to include the newest Member States. This supersedes earlier editions including SP-1271, SP-1300 and SP-1317.