Belgians in space

The Belgians started dreaming very early on of the stars and the infinite space where they could give way to their imagination. At first it was in the field of literature, in an artform they excelled in: the comic strip. Later, it materialized in scientific and technological research of the highest level, shrewdly spread out through the entire country, and before soon they had won the recognition of their European partners. But it was on the political scene that Belgians would truly lift the spirits.

Belgians in Space seeks to rekindle that collective memory, that shared imagination, and not only with the players of that time, those who witnessed the birth of the European Space Agency (ESA), but also with the young people of today as they see how the European Union has become such a key player in the European space effort. The role played by the Federal Science Policy (the administration in charge of space research and its applications) and by other departments as well as individual players at both national and international level, epitomize Belgium's commitment in a sector that has an everlasting future.

Whether or not we believe in space, whether we devote genuine passion or simply a passing interest to it, every day we use the tools that have been developed for more than 40 years as part of European and international cooperation agreements. Telecommunications, navigation, the Earth's observation, science and technology are a common good, a global reality we strive to bring to all.

We asked four writers, journalists and historians to take their pen and tell the tale (an illustrated tale that is) of Belgium's adventure in space, from the beginning of the space age to ESA's 30th anniversary and Belgium's 175th anniversary.