Euroepan Space Agency

Dimitrijević Duško (Institut za međunarodnu politiku i privredu, Beograd), dimitrijevicd@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs

The European Space Agency (ESA) is the main European actor in the exploration and use of space. It was founded in 1975 by the European Space Conference, which decided to create this Agency to merge the already existing organisations, the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) and the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO). The purpose of the European Space Agency is to ensure and promote cooperation among European countries in space and scientific and technological research. Research should be used for scientific purposes and the development of operational systems in space. That presupposes the development and implementation of a long-term European space policy that sets out specific space objectives and recommends the harmonisation of national policies with those of other national and international organisations and institutions. Ultimately, this approach should lead to the coordination of space programmes within the European Union and the adoption of more coherent national industrial policies in the field of space. In this regard, the European Space Agency is also an important factor in the formation of international space law through the internal procedures it develops, as well as through the implementation of international space practices and agreements it concludes.

Keywords: European Space Agency – ESA, ESRO, ELDO, space exploration and use.