It is just three years since the Anglo-French proposals for a European Space Vehicle Launcher Development programme were put before a Conference of Government representatives from 11 countries in the Council of Europe Headquarters, Strasbourg, and slightly more since the Conference of 11 countries at Meyrin in Switzerland where the idea of a European Space Research Organisation was formally introduced. This seems an opportune moment to take stock of the situation in this new field of international co-operation and look ahead to the prospects in the immediate future. At the same time it may be useful to mention briefly the increasing scope of European interests in all aspects of Space and to survey the growth of national space programmes.