EDITORIAL INFORMATION

The 15th edition of the European Space Directory, published in April 2000, is currently available from our Paris office. As in previous years, we have done our best to provide our readers with most up-to-date and accurate information. The overall layout of the Directory remains the same, with five major sections giving a variety of information on the Space Industry in Europe. Companies from ESA countries still form the hard core of the Directory. But the 2000 edition also features various non-European companies.

(Extracted from the press release).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Introduction. Crucial Challenges for Orbital Systems. Théo Pirard.

-Space Chronology 1999-2000.

-World Space Programmes and Budgets. Marcel Toussaint.

-Satellite Launching Sites in the World and Succesful Launches of Spacecraft.

-The European Space Infrastructure for the Year 2004.

-Which Access to Space? Alphabetical Review of Satellite Launch Vehicles in the World.

-Profiles of Space Companies and Institutions.

-Minimum Listings.

-Space Who's Who.

-Space Buyer's Guide.

-Companies and Institutions Listed by Country.

-Alphabetical List of Companies and Institutions.

-Advertising Index.

OUR REVIEW

The European Space Directory reaches its 15th. edition with an obvious maturity and reliability of contents. Exclusively devoted to providing information about the different firms and companies that integrate the European space industry, it has become a basic reference tool for the expert in this field.

The 2000 edition, like the previous ones, also is useful as a good review of the events that have happened during the previous year in the arena of astronautics, with articles and chronologies of a great historical interest. Tables with the budgets of the space nations are provided, with cross-references and comparisons, firm sales rankings, etc. In this occasion a special importance is attached to the satellite launch vehicles. Still, the basic nucleus of the work is at the directory, which contains several dozens of files of companies that have financed their inclusion.

These files contain information on their activities, employees, addresses, contact telephones, e-mail, contracts, products, etc.

There is even a minimum list for all those that have not wanted or have not been able to finance their presence at the main directory, with their basic data.

The reader can also find a complete who is who, a most valuable tool to locate the managerial personnel of each firm, and an ordered guide that facilitates finding the manufacturers of a given product.