The story of European-Russian collaboration in space is little known and its importance all too
often understated. Because France was the principal interlocutor between these nations such
cooperation did not receive the attention it deserved in English-language literature. This book
rectifies that history showing how Russia and Europe forged a successful partnership that has
continued to the present day. Space writer Brian Harvey provides an in-depth picture of how
this European-Russian relationship evolved and what factors¿scientific political and
industrial¿propelled it over the decades. The history begins in the cold war period with the
first collaborative ventures between the Soviet Union and European countries primarily France
followed later by Germany and other European countries. Next the chapters turn to the missions
when European astronauts flew to Russian space stations the Soyuz rocket made a new home in
European territory in the South American jungle and science missions were flown to study deep
space. Their climax is the joint mission to explore Mars called ExoMars which has already
sent a mission to Mars. Through this close examination of these European-Russian efforts
readers will appreciate an altogether new perspective on the history of space exploration no
longer defined by competition but rather by collaboration and cooperation.
