ESA title

Press Releases — 1995

Published by the ESA Newsroom and Media Relations

email: media @ esa.int (Media inquiries only)

Index
Press Release N° 65–1995
Enabling & Support

Situation of the Ariane-5 programme after the success of the Q1 qualification test

(ESA/CNES joint press release) The first qualification test on the cyrogenic main stage of Europe's Ariane-5 launcher, lasting 10 minutes 29 seconds, was performed successfully on 15 December on the ELA-3 launch site at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana.
21/12/1995 285 views
Open
Press Release N° 64–1995
Science & Exploration

First light with ISO and its instruments

ESA's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was successfully launched by Ariane during the night of 16-17 November. The cover closing the cryostat was ejected on 27 November thereby enabling astronomical use of the ISO telescope. All systems on-board the technologically-innovative satellite are working very well, better than specifications and all the ISO instruments have now received "first light".
06/12/1995 272 views
Open
Press Release N° 63–1995
Science & Exploration

Successful launch of SOHO

Scientists ability to study the Sun, the star that sustains life o Earth, took a massive leap forward today with the launch of SOHO, a sophisticated state-of-the-art spacecraft built by the European Space Agency (ESA).
02/12/1995 774 views
Open
Press Release N° 62–1995
Science & Exploration

SOHO launch campaign - Videotransmission on Saturday 2 December 1995

ESA's S0H0* satellite is being readied for launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in the early morning of 2 December 1995. The launch window opens at 02h34 a.m. (Florida time), 07h34 a.m. GMT, 08h34 a.m. CET (Paris time) and remains open for 91 minutes.
03/11/1995 246 views
Open
Press Release N° 61–1995
Science & Exploration

Successful launch of Maxus-2

29/11/1995 524 views
Open
Press Release N° 60–1995
Enabling & Support

Completion of Ariane-5 cryogenic stage development test campaign

28/11/1995 242 views
Open
Press Release N° 59–1995
Science & Exploration

ISO opens its eyes

The cover closing the cryostat of ESA's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was successfully ejected at 10:27 hrs GMT (11:27 hrs CET, Paris time) on Monday 27 November during the 10th orbit of ISO's lifetime.
27/11/1995 424 views
Open
Press Release N° 58–1995
Applications

2nd ERS Applications Workshop

ESA's Earth observation satellite ERS-1 has now been operating for more than four years and has been complemented by its successor, ERS-2, since April 1995. The related Pilot Application Projects have reached a fairly advanced stage. The results of about 100 of these projects will be presented at a Workshop on ERS Applications to be held in London from 6 to 8 December 1995 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster London SW1P 3EE.
27/11/1995 316 views
Open
Press Release N° 57–1995
Science & Exploration

Press briefing: Science with the Hubble Space Telescope

In the two years since the very successful Shuttle mission which, in December 1993, fully restored its optical capabilities, the Hubble Space Telescope (*) has been collecting a wealth of scientific data which are effectively opening a new "window" on our universe.
27/11/1995 282 views
Open
Press Release N° 56–1995
Science & Exploration

Full load of ESA experiments on Maxus-2 sounding rocket

The Maxus-2 sounding rocket is scheduled for launch on Monday 27 November 1995 from the Esrange launch site in Kiruna, Sweden. The launch window opens at 09:30 hrs and closes at 11:30hrs. The sounding-rocket will reach an apogee of 710 km and will provide 121/2 minutes of microgravity (virtual absence of gravity) for the experiments on board.
24/11/1995 290 views
Open
Press Release N° 55–1995
Science & Exploration

SOHO launch postponed

23/11/1995 444 views
Open
Press Release N° 54–1995
Science & Exploration

ISO approaches operational orbit

20/11/1995 294 views
Open
Press Release N° 53–1995
Science & Exploration

SOHO launch campaign - Videotransmission on Thursday 23 November

ESA's S0H0* satellite is being readied for launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in the early morning of 23 November 1995. The launch window opens at 07h53 CET (Paris time) and remains open for 91 minutes.
20/11/1995 250 views
Open
Press Release N° 52–1995
Science & Exploration

Art in Space

On 30 November a hundred young Europeans, most of them art students, will have an opportunity to talk to the orbiting crew of the Mir space station from the Euro Space Center in Transinne, Belgium, on the subject of "Space and Humanity".
20/11/1995 611 views
Open
Press Release N° 51–1995
Applications

Meteosat remains in good hands

As one system retires after 18 years, a new era starts on Friday 1st December when EUMETSAT formally takes over the operation of Meteosat satellites from ESA's European Operations Control Centre (ESOC). The hand-over will be marked by a ceremony to be held in the new headquarters of EUMETSAT in Darmstadt. The Director General of ESA, the chairman of EUMETSAT Council, its Director and ESA's Director of Operations, will conduct the hand-over ceremony which will introduce one of the most advanced meteorological satellite ground systems in the world. This new system will enable EUMETSAT to concentrate on meteorological satellite operations while ESOC continues the operation of ESA's scientific and development programme satellites.
20/11/1995 343 views
Open
Press Release N° 50–1995
Science & Exploration

ISO successfully launched

ISO, ESA's Infrared Space Observatory, was successfully launched by an Ariane 44P launcher from Europe's spaceport in Kourou at 22h20, on 16 November 1995, (02h20 CET on 17 November 1995).
17/11/1995 402 views
Open
Press Release N° 49–1995
Science & Exploration

Shuttle/Mir docking: EUROMIR 95 press conference and Joint Crew News Conference

In the context of the STS-74/Mir mission scheduled between 11 -19 November (see ESA Press Release no. 47-95), a series of in-flight special events will take place to enhance public awareness of the Shuttle/Mir docking. In particular, on flight day 6 -Thursday 16 November, assuming that launch will take place as scheduled on Saturday 11 November- a "Joint Crew News Conference" with all crew members has been scheduled, involving US, Russian, Canadian and ESA media.
10/11/1995 312 views
Open
Press Release N° 48–1995
Science & Exploration

ISO, ESA's explorer of the Unknown

The European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) has a rendez-vous with the unknown on II November 1995. The 2.5 tonnes satellite will be launched by an Ariane 44P from Kourou, French Guiana in the night 10 to 11 November 1995 at 2:42 a.m (CET). Its task will be long-duration observation of celestial radiation sources in the invisible and cool light of infrared radiation, as yet largely unexplored.
03/11/1995 299 views
Open
Press Release N° 47–1995
Science & Exploration

EUROMIR 95 crew expecting shuttle visitors

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter and his Russian crewmates, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Avdeev, are preparing to receive house guests in their orbiting home, the Mir space station. The five-man crew of the American shuttle Atlantis (*) are due to meet the mixed Russian/ESA crew on Mir later this month. This will be the first contact with the rest of humanity for the three men since they bade farewell to the previous Mir crew on 11 September.
03/11/1995 312 views
Open
Press Release N° 46–1995
Science & Exploration

SOHO science briefing via satellite at ESA

25/10/1995 235 views
Open
Press Release N° 45–1995
Science & Exploration

First ESA astronaut walks in space

"Greetings from 400 km above the Earth ... It is hard to find words for this incredible view. I mean - it's like ... it's indescribable. The view is magnificent The station is now perpendicular to the Earth's surface. 
24/10/1995 406 views
Open
Press Release N° 44–1995
Agency

ESA Council Ministerial Meeting in Toulouse

EUROPEAN SPACE: A NEW MOMENTUMThe Council of the European Space Agency (ESA), met at Ministerial Level in Toulouse at the invitation of the French Government, on 18, 19 and 20 October 1995. The meeting was chaired by Mr Yvan Ylieff, the Belgian Minister for Science Policy.
20/10/1995 564 views
Open
Press Release N° 43–1995
Science & Exploration

EUROMIR 95 extended until 29 February 1996

ESA and RSC Energia have agreed on a 45 days extension of the EUROMIR 95 mission.
20/10/1995 245 views
Open
Press Release N° 42–1995
Science & Exploration

Possible extension of EUROMIR mission and ESA's first spacewalk

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, who has been on board the space station Mir since 5 September for ESA's EUROMIR 95 mission, might have his record breaking stay of 135 days extended by 44 days. ESA and Russia are currently negotiating this extension, which would serve the interests of both partners. For Russia, it would optimise the use of onboard and overall resources, while it would enable ESA to intensify and expand the scientific programme of EUROMIR 95. A final decision about the extension is expected in the near future.
13/10/1995 340 views
Open
Press Release N° 41–1995
Agency

Space agency forum (SAF) 3

The third meeting of the Space Agency Forum (SAF) was held in Oslo, Norway on 2 October 1995 on the occasion of the 46th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). The meeting was organised and chaired by the European Space Agency (ESA).
06/10/1995 571 views
Open
Press Release N° 40–1995
Agency

ESA Council meeting at ministerial level Toulouse, 18-20 October 1995

The issuesSince it came into being just over twenty years ago, the European Space Agency has developed a range of facilities for use in space and on the ground, which have been instrumental in making Europe a major space power.
04/10/1995 484 views
Open
Press Release N° 39–1995
Enabling & Support

Completion of qualification testing on the Ariane-5 storable propellant stage

The last three qualification hot tests on the storable propellant stage of the Ariane-5 launcher were carried out on 20 September 1995 on the teststand at Lampoldshausen in Germany.
26/09/1995 257 views
Open
Press Release N° 38–1995
Enabling & Support

Revised Ariane-5 launch timetable

26/09/1995 344 views
Open
Press Release N° 37–1995
Applications

ESA at TELECOM'95, Geneva, 3-11 October 1995

CONNECT - into the information highway! This will be the main theme of this year's TELECOM'95 in Geneva. But anyone who has tried to look at his Internet mailbox from a hotel room in, say, Moscow, or to load down high-resolution images from a Web-server knows that to CONNECT! is not always that easy.
22/09/1995 475 views
Open
Press Release N° 36–1995
Agency

Space brought within children's reach

18/09/1995 265 views
Open
Press Release N° 35–1995
Science & Exploration

ESA Astronaut arrives at Mir

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter has arrived at Russia's Mir space station, his orbiting home for the next 133 days. The Soyuz capsule, carrying the German-born astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts, docked with the 120-tonne space complex this afternoon at 12:30 CEST. The three men blasted off two days earlier from the Baikonour Cosmodrome in the steppes of Kazakhstan.
05/09/1995 372 views
Open
Press Release N° 34–1995
Enabling & Support

Ariane-5 - campaign of tests on the cryogenic main stage

On Friday, 1 September, flight control tests were carried out on the development and qualification version of the cryogenic main stage for the Ariane-5 European launcher at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The tests had to be suspended when a high-pressure oil line burst.
05/09/1995 245 views
Open
Press Release N° 33–1995
Science & Exploration

ESA to launch six scientific satellites

The European Space Agency is preparing to launch an armada of scientific spacecraft to study the sun, our local space environment and the far reaches of the universe. These three ground-breaking missions are due for launch between November 1995 and January 1996.
05/09/1995 319 views
Open
Press Release N° 32–1995
Science & Exploration

EUROMIR 95 status report no. 1

EUROMIR 95: lift-off for longest ESA manned missionThe longest manned mission in European space history got underway Sunday 3 September with a spectacular blast-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. EUROMIR 95, the second joint ESA-Russian mission to the Mir space station, will continue into the New Year and will include the first spacewalk by an ESA astronaut.
04/09/1995 324 views
Open
Press Release N° 31–1995
Science & Exploration

ESA's longest manned mission set for lift off

Final preparations are under way in Europe, Russia and Kazakhstan for the launch of EUROMIR 95, the second ESA mission to the Russian Mir space station. The 135-day flight, the longest in western European manned space history, is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on 3 September.
25/08/1995 512 views
Open
Press Release N° 30–1995
Agency

ESA twenty years old!

1975-1995. The European Space Agency has been in existence for twenty years. 
11/08/1995 433 views
Open
Press Release N° 29–1995
Science & Exploration

Ulysses reaches maximum latitude over the Sun's northern pole

ESA's Ulysses Spacecraft, the first probe ever to fly over the poles of the Sun, climbed to its maximum latitude of 80.2 degrees north of the Sun's equator on Monday, 31 July, thereby passing another milestone on its historic mission to survey the Sun's environment from a unique vantage point in space.
08/08/1995 299 views
Open
Press Release N° 28–1995
Enabling & Support

First hot qualification test on Ariane-5 upper stage

The first long-duration hot qualification test on the Ariane-5 storable propellant stage was performed at 3 p m on 27 July 1995 on the Daimler-Benz Aerospace teststand at Lampoldshausen, Germany. 
28/07/1995 289 views
Open
Press Release N° 27–1995
Enabling & Support

Ariane-5 on the way to flight qualification

The Q2 test of the solid-propellant booster stage for the Ariane-5 European launcher took place at 17:15 hours (Paris time) on Friday, 21 July on the stage teststand at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. 
24/07/1995 273 views
Open
Press Release N° 26–1995
Agency

ESA parabolic flight competition for students Selected experiments

At the closing date of the ESA parabolic flight competition for students, no less than 58 interesting and valid proposals for experiments were received from all over Europe. The proposals confirm the high interest in Space science and technology among students and also their good understanding of the Space environment and its capabilities.
07/07/1995 995 views
Open
Press Release N° 25–1995
Applications

ESA Presents First ERS-2 Images and Data

At a media briefing held 16 June 1995 at the Paris Airshow, ESA presented a commisionning status report of the ERS-2 satellite, including a set of 24 new images and data.Copies of the press kit distributed on this occasion can be ordered from ESA Public Relations. 
21/06/1995 310 views
Open
Press Release N° 24–1995
Enabling & Support

Successful functional test on the Ariane-5 cryogenic main stage (*)

The first long-duration firing of the cryogenic main stage of the Ariane-5 European launcher took place at 21:56 hours (Paris time) on Friday, 16 June at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
20/06/1995 330 views
Open
Press Release N° 23–1995
Applications

Update of ESA media events at "salon du Bourget"

TelecommunicationsESA, the European commission and Eurocontrol have established as joint programme for the development of a satellite navigation system to support, in particular, air traffic control. Its first phase included the development of an infrastructure required to make use of existing navigation satellite systems, mainly for commercial aircraft navigation. The second phase will prepare the European contribution to a dedicated civilian satellite navigation system. 
06/06/1995 405 views
Open
Press Release N° 22–1995
Enabling & Support

ERS-2 In-Orbit Status

After a perfect launch on Ariane flight V72, at 01.44 hours Universal Time on 21 April 1995, ERS-2 performed its early- orbit phase manoeuvres under autonomous control, exactly to plan and without anomaly.
22/05/1995 446 views
Open
Press Release N° 21–1995
Enabling & Support

Submission of Enquiry Board's provisional report on fatal accident at Guiana Space Centre

19/05/1995 698 views
Open
Press Release N° 20–1995
Enabling & Support

ESA at the Paris Air Show, le Bourget, 10-18 June 1995

A huge, full-size Ariane 5 mock-up will be the main eye-catcher this year at the Paris Air Show, but to make the public aware of the successes and achievements of Europe's efforts in space, ESA is also exhibiting a spectacular display in its 1200 m2 pavilion located next to the mock-up.
17/05/1995 484 views
Open
Press Release N° 19–1995
Enabling & Support

Measures being taken following fatal accident on 5 May 1995 at Guiana Space Centre

10/05/1995 440 views
Open
Press Release N° 18–1995
Science & Exploration

ESA astronaut Pedro Duque selected as an Alternate Payload Specialist for 1996 Shuttle mission

ESA astronaut Pedro Duque from Spain, has been selected by NASA as an Alternate Payload Specialist for the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) mission (STS-78), presently scheduled to be flown aboard the Shuttle Columbia in the summer of 1996.
09/05/1995 368 views
Open
Press Release N° 17–1995
Enabling & Support

Fatal accident at the Guiana Space Centre

05/05/1995 1214 views
Open
Press Release N° 16–1995
Enabling & Support

ERS-2 acquires first image

05/05/1995 381 views
Open
Press Release N° 15–1995
Enabling & Support

ERS-2 in orbit

ERS-2 was successfully launched by Ariane on Flight 72 during the night of Thursday 20 / Friday 21 April 1995 at 22h44 Kourou time (01h44 GMT, 03h44 Paris time) and placed into polar orbit 780 km above the Earth.
21/04/1995 435 views
Open
Press Release N° 14–1995
Agency

Establishment of an ESA Permanent Mission in Russia

On Monday 10 April 1995, the Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Georgij Enverovich Mamedov and ESA's Director General Jean-Marie Luton, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, signed an agreement between the Russian Government and ESA concerning the establishment of an ESA Permanent Mission in Russia.
10/04/1995 403 views
Open
Press Release N° 13–1995
Enabling & Support

Launch date of ERS-2 confirmed

ERS-1 and ERS-2 to perform tandem mission The launch of ERS-2, ESA's second remote sensing satellite, is now scheduled for the night of 20 to 21 April 1995, at 10h44 p.m. Kourou time, (01h44 a.m. GMT, 03h44 a.m. Paris time) by the Ariane launcher, (there will be further launch opportunities the following night and the night of 23 to 24 April).
30/03/1995 362 views
Open
Press Release N° 12–1995
Science & Exploration

Europe reaffirms its determination to be an active partner in the International Space Station

At its meeting in Paris on 23 March 1995, the ESA Council reached a positive consensus on Europe's participation in the International Space Station. In letters to NASA's Administrator Daniel Goldin and his counterparts in the other Cooperating Agencies, the ESA's Director General, Jean-Marie Luton, reaffirmed Europe's determination to be an active partner in this international cooperative venture.
23/03/1995 196 views
Open
Press Release N° 11–1995
Science & Exploration

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter selected for flight on EUROMIR 95

ESA's Director General, Mr. Jean-Marie Luton, has announced today during a press conference at ESA/EAC (European Astronauts Centre) in Cologne, the selection of Thomas Reiter as member of Crew 1 and Christer Fuglesang as member of Crew 2 for the EUROMIR 95 mission. Crew 1 is the crew that is scheduled to actually fly, while Crew 2 is the stand-by crew and would fly in case any of the members of Crew 1 becomes unsuitable for the mission.
17/03/1995 274 views
Open
Press Release N° 10–1995
Enabling & Support

Ariane 5 progressing towards qualification for launch

The sixth test on a P230 solid booster for the European Ariane 5 launcher took place on Friday 10 March 1995 at 14:05 hrs, Paris time, on its teststand at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana.
13/03/1995 246 views
Open
Press Release N° 9–1995
Science & Exploration

Announcement of ESA's astronauts selection for EUROMIR 95

On Friday 17 March 1995 at 16h45, at a press conference held at ESA/EAC in Cologne, Germany, the Director General of ESA, Mr. Jean-Marie Luton, will announce which of the two ESA astronauts currently training for the EUROMIR 95 mission- Christer Fuglesang from Sweden and Thomas Reiter from Germany- will fly this 135 day long mission on Mir.
09/03/1995 243 views
Open
Press Release N° 8–1995
Enabling & Support

Russian Foton-10 experiment-carrying capsule damaged after landing

Successfully launched on 16 February 1995 on a Soyuz launcher (see ESA Press Release no. 7-95) , the Russian Foton-10 capsule, carrying also ESA's Biobox incubator and three smaller experiments, landed safely at 11:34 hrs (Moscow time) on Friday 3 March 135 km South-East of Orenburg (South of the Ural mountains) after the planned mission.
07/03/1995 269 views
Open
Press Release N° 7–1995
Enabling & Support

Launch of Russian Foton-10 capsule with ESA payload

A Russian Soyuz launcher carrying the Foton-10 satellite, a retrievable capsule carrying a set of biological experiments in an incubator named Biobox, was successfully launched on 16 February from the Plesetsk cosmodrome (Northern Russia) at 20h40 Moscow time (18h40 Paris time).
17/02/1995 452 views
Open
Press Release N° 6–1995
Science & Exploration

Hubble Space Telescope, presentation of scientific results

After last year's successful repair mission, the Hubble Space Telescope has finally become the powerful observatory it was meant to be, delivering a constant flow of amazing scientific results.
13/02/1995 463 views
Open
Press Release N° 5–1995
Agency

Travelling Exhibition for High Schools in Germany

The Bavarian Minister for Education, Culture, Science and the Arts, Dr. Hans Zehetmair, today inaugurated a Space Exhibition at the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich (Germany). From 23 February, the exhibition will travel around the high schools in the Munich area, and then throughout Bavaria as from the 1995/96 school year.
08/02/1995 249 views
Open
Press Release N° 4–1995
Applications

Crew of ATLAS-3 mission visits Europe

The third successful mission of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-3), which flew on STS-66 from 3 to 14 November, studied in the Earth atmosphere and the solar energy output.
31/01/1995 279 views
Open
Press Release N° 3–1995
Enabling & Support

A milestone for Ariane-5: completion of the "battleship" test campaign

On Friday 27 January the Ariane-5 programme reached an important milestone, with the success of the last hot test on launcher's cryogenic main stage in battleship configuration (heavy structure), carried out at the CSG, Europe's Spaceport Kourou, French Guiana.This test, which lasted 215 seconds as anticipated, included engine shutdown triggered by oxygen depletion.
30/01/1995 318 views
Open
Press Release N° 2–1995
Science & Exploration

ESA astronauts assigned to Tethered Satellite System mission - STS-75

ESA astronauts Claude Nicollier and Maurizio Cheli have been selected by NASA to fly as mission specialists on board Space Shuttle Columbia for flight STS-75 in early 1996, which will see the second deployment of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) and the third flight of scientific investigations using the US Microgravity Payload (USMP) complement. The mission is scheduled to last 13 days.
27/01/1995 1112 views
Open
Press Release N° 1–1995
Science & Exploration

Ulf Merbold's recounts his spaceflight experience on Mir

On Thursday 9 February 1995 ESA astronaut Ulf Merbold will relate his experiences onboard the Russian space station Mir and the EUROMIR 94 mission to the media.The presentation will take place at 10h00 at Noordwijk Space Expo, the visitors' centre of ESA's Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in The Netherlands.
26/01/1995 224 views
Open

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