The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 22 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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In 1923, the German scientist Hermann Oberth published his study 'The Rocket Into Interplanetary Space'. This introduced the idea of a telescope able to view the universe unhindered by the Earth's atmosphere.
This technical documentary [1970s, early 1980s?] looks at the advantages of such a telecope, and outlines NASA's plans to build and deploy one. Includes: shots of observatories, astronomical photos; the concept of pbserving galaxies that may be billions of light years away; spectroscopical analysis of the electromagnetic radiation which reaches the Earth; advantages of placing a telescope outside the Earth's atmosphere [i.e ten times clearer]; an explanation of how the telescope will work; illustrations to explain the mission; interviews with various scientists and astronomers; an explanation of what the telescope will tell us.
Not available