Sir Hermann Bondi: A journey through his life and the early endeavours of Europe into space

This paper highlights the life, work and personality of Sir Hermann Bondi, with an emphasis on his years as Director General (DG) of the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), the predecessor of ESA. Born in Austria, but being at his ease in Cambridge, Sir Hermann Bondi has had a varying and impressive career as a lecturer, researcher, manager and advisor in many fields like cosmology, radar technology, space research, energy and defence. He became well known for the Steady State theory of the Universe, a theory that was disproved by the Big Bang theory but that caused a lot of fruitful discussions in the scientific world. As a DG of ESRO, Sir Hermann Bondi has proven his intellectual, organisational and communication capabilities while being one of the main players in helping the rise of a European space effort to a success. Apart from his work, Sir Hermann Bondi loved to travel, to ski and to climb in the mountains. He was also an active member and later president of the British Humanist Association, he was influenced by Popper's science philosophy and he stimulated science to be brought to the public. He was known as a very strong personality, which impressed many people who have met him.