Success Story
30 Discoveries from ESA's science missions in space
This is the on-line version of ESA Publication BR-147 (April 1999) Preface At the close of a century, and after 35 years of our scientific missions, the Science Programme Directorate of the European Space Agency decided to show how well the science programme has used the resources made available by the Member States, on behalf of the space scientific community. Looking back, we can say with pride that these resources allowed us to produce true discovery machines. The instruments embarked on our missions by the scientific community were at the forefront of technology, with a high potential for further applications and commercial spin-offs. Most missions have been implemented within the budget and on schedule. The overall result is European leadership over a broad front of space science activities. Here we highlight thirty striking discoveries, from among many other candidates, which contribute unambiguously to the advancement of knowledge. I am sure that through this selection the reader will share with us the pleasure of discovery, and support our efforts to do more in the future. We intend not only to secure those niches of leadership we have gained, but also to show the way to other, completely new revelations. Welcome to the fascinating world of the frontiers of knowledge! R.M. Bonnet ESA Science Missions 1984-1999
| Mission | Discoveries | | Giotto | - The dark body of Halley's comet unveiled
- Comet treasure: raw materials for life
- How a small comet makes huge waves
| | Ulysses | - Gale-force winds in most of the Sun's empire
- How the Sun fights the cosmic rays
- Star-dust showers us from cosmic space
| | Soho | - Holes in the Sun where the solar wind streams out
- When to warn the world of dangerous solar blasts
- The Sun contends with a breeze from the stars
- Why the Sun's atmosphere is shockingly hot
- Rivers of gas hidden beneath the Sun's surface
- Astounding quakes and tornadoes on the Sun
| | IUE | - Identified: the great exploding star of 1987
- The size of a black hole's dinner plate
| | Exosat | - A vampire star closes in on its victim
- Star-gas trembles as it falls to its doom
| | Hipparcos | - A riddle solved: older Universe, younger stars
- New puzzle: key stars are closer than expected
- Fixed: an amazing star that flashes gamma-rays
- The Milky Way: it's floppy and it changes shape
| | Hubble | - The first naked black hole in a galaxy
- A long-sought "fossil" gas found at last
- Nature's own lenses extend Hubble's range
- The long history of the chemical elements
| | ISO | - Water, water, everywhere
- The cosmic cookery book for planets and life
- Many young stars are ready to build planets
- A high-speed chain-reaction forms new stars
- Frenzied star-making in infrared galaxies
- A population explosion of stars, long ago
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1. The dark body of Halley's Comet unveiled |
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Last Update: 13 Dec 2005
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