\n<\/p>\n
A busy time for ESA\u2019s ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands, seen in this vintage photo from March 1977.<\/p>\n
The first Italian telecommunications satellite, SIRIO-1 (Satellite Italiano per la Ricerca Industriale Orientata), is seen about to be placed in the Test Centre\u2019s Heat Balance Facility 2 \u2013 the cylindrical thermal vacuum chamber laying open behind it.<\/p>\n
The 400-kg satellite went on to be launched into geostationary orbit by a US Delta 2312 launcher in August that year. SIRIO-1 tested novel frequency bands from orbit for commercial use, helping pave the way for Europe\u2019s telecom satellite industry.<\/p>\n
Historical space photographs and publications from 1977 have just been added to ESA\u2019s Space Heritage Image Project, SHIP. Collections from extra years are being added every few months, to celebrate the 60th<\/sup> anniversary of European cooperation in space.<\/p>\n In 1964 the first European space organisations were founded: ELDO (the European Launcher Development Organisation) and ESRO (the European Space Research Organisation). These forerunners of ESA were merged after just over a decade, in 1975, to form today\u2019s European Space Agency.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n