Ireland joins space race in 1978

IRELAND joined the space race in 1978 with a government decision to provide funds for Europe’s Ariane rocket programme.

A memorandum endorsing entry to the scheme which brought together eleven European states was presented to government by minister for foreign affairs Micheal O’Kennedy on July 20, 1978.

The aim was to give Europe an “independent launch capability” for satellites and “be in a position to capture a share of the world wide launcher market which has been dominated by the US and the USSR”.