Faced with the colossal space programs of the United States and the USSR, the European community decided that it would be in their best interest to pool resources and expertise. The European Space Agency was formed May 31, 1975. ESA is a multinational organization that develops space technology and conducts research.
As a civil, nonmilitary space program that relies on peaceful cooperation of European states, ESA's member nations vote on which projects to fund. Each government is invited to invest in projects according to how important they feel the projects are. Governments then share in the contracts and benefits of the program according to their original investment. And no member may undertake any space venture without inviting ESA participation.
The ESA member nations include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. (Canada has observer status.) The Agency operates out of Paris and launches payloads on Ariane rockets from pads in Norway and Sweden.
ESA owns and operates Spacelab, a science workshop that flies on NASA shuttles. Currently, ESA is developing Hermes, a minishuttle, and an orbiting Man Tended Free Flier, a small laboratory that astronomers would visit periodically while working and living on the proposed international space station Freedom.
The ESA, the USA and Japan have discussed joining forces in the construction of lunar micro gravity labs and light manufacturing facilities. International cooperation may be the only way to make such multibillion-billion dollar projects fly.
