The history of IUE

The early organizational and development history of the NASA-ESA-SERC International UV Explorer (IUE) satellite observatory is reviewed. Consideration is given to the progress of UV astronomy prior to the launch of the IUE in 1978; the initial feasibility and design studies; preliminary proposals (e.g., UVAS) and the reasons for their rejection; the designs selected for the telescope, spectrographs, detectors, and attitude-control system; the preflight preparations; and the commissioning phase.