Astrometry history: Hipparcos from 1964 to 1980

TL;DR

This paper explores the early history and development of the Hipparcos satellite mission from 1964 to 1980, highlighting key interviews, archival insights, and the political challenges faced in its approval.

Contribution

It provides a detailed historical account of Hipparcos' conception, development, and approval process, emphasizing European circumstances and decision-making challenges.

Findings

European circumstances were crucial for space astrometry's emergence

Hipparcos development was driven by scientific and political factors

Approval was difficult despite strong scientific support

Abstract

Here follow three reports covering different aspects of the early history from 1964 to 1980 of the Hipparcos satellite mission. The first report "Interviews about the creation of Hipparcos" contains interviews from 2017 with scientists about how the mission was conceived up to the begin of technical development. The second report "From TYCHO to Hipparcos 1975 to 1979" is about the Hipparcos development based on new material from my archive. From my 65 years dedicated to the development of astrometry, I argue that very special historical circumstances in Europe were decisive for the idea of space astrometry to become reality: Hipparcos did not just come because astrophysicists needed the data. The third report "Miraculous 1980 for Hipparcos" documents how the approval of the astrometric mission in January 1980 in competition with an astrophysical mission was only achieved with very great difficulty, even after an outstanding astrophysicist had presented overwhelming arguments that the astrometric mission would be scientifically much more important.