Pierre Lacroûte, space astrometry pioneer
Date: 28 November 2013
Copyright: ESA
Pierre Lacroûte (1906-1993) was a pioneer of space astrometry. In 1967 he proposed a mission to perform differential astrometric measurements on the sky, and to do so across very wide angles; this became the Hipparcos mission.
Transcript of the video, translated from French:
Pierre Lacroûte: "I really thought that there was the possibility of doing something in space with astrometry. We worked hard to imagine what methods to use. And then the Space Agency took up the project and then after the work of many astronomers and engineers it became the highly successful Hipparcos project."
Narrator: If all goes well, within 6 months the first catalogue of very precise star positions across the whole sky will be established…
[Editor's note: this is an extract from a video first published on ESA's videos for professionals website.]