Reply to the 2nd report on the activities of the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) to the Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Text adopted by the Standing Committee on 23rd June 1967 (see Doc. 2243, Report of the Committee on Science and Technology).
The Assembly,
Technical execution of the Programme
1. Having examined the 2nd report of the European Space Research Organisation which that Organisation has addressed to the Council of Europe in accordance with
Resolution 10 of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of June 1962 ;
2. Noting that by the end of 1966 the European Space Research Organisation had completed the first three-year period of its programme ;
3. Noting with satisfaction that ESRO has, in spite of serious difficulties, completed most of its capital investment programme, believes that greater and quicker progress should now be possible in executing the operational programme ;
4. Noting with concern that ESRO has not yet overcome its financial crisis, hopes that the necessary steps will be taken to remedy the situation ;
5. Welcoming the Bannier Report and the decision of the ESRO Council to adopt it in principle ;
6. Noting that it has been found necessary to place the main emphasis on establishing the basic facilities and getting the rocket and satellite programme under way, regrets therefore that comparatively small efforts have been made in the field of applied research ;
7. Noting that the sum of MF 120 which was not spent during the first three-year period was not carried over to the second three-year period, hopes that the Ministerial Conference of July 1967 will take positive decisions in this respect ;
8. Noting that the work on the Large Astronomical Satellite (LAS) has practically ceased, thereby creating the kind of situation which is likely to increase the "brain drain", hopes that immediate steps will be taken to remedy the situation ;
Satellite applications and space technology
9. Noting that the original plans for the ESRO programme made no reference to the possibility of carrying out investigations on satellite applications such as telecommunications, meteorology, navigation etc.,
10. Welcomes the indication of a new orientation in this respect to the effect that ESRO has, on behalf of CETS, undertaken a study on the technical and financial implications involved in the development and launching of experimental communications satellites ;
11. Realising that the potential demand by European physicists for space in satellites is increasing, welcomes the decision of 1964 to use the American Thor-Delta launcher, whereby the scientific payload could be increased by a factor of four, while the cost including launching is increased by a factor of only about two ;
12. Regretting that with regard to the second prime purpose of ESRO, namely promotion of European collaboration in space technology, it has not proved possible during the build-up phase to put into effect the applied research programme as originally planned, believes as a consequence that European collaboration in space technology has suffered ;
13. Welcoming, however, that a beginning has been made through the large number of contracts that ESRO has placed with European industry insofar as this has obliged European industry to establish European consortia ;
14. Noting that ESRO is of the opinion that 1967 will be a most critical year for the future of European space policy,
15. Resolves to invite the ESRO Ministerial Conference to be held in the summer of 1967 :
a to make decisions on the LAS project which will ensure the realisation of this important venture ;
b to instruct the Council and Secretariat that their competence also extends to satellite applications such as telecommunications, meteorology, navigation etc, and to proceed without delay with investigations and development ;
c to agree on the necessary appropriation to the above projects ;
d to instruct the Council and Secretariat to examine the market for prospective customers of European-built satellites.
