Harry Elliot began working in Manchester with Patrick Blackett on cosmic rays. He studied their nature and origin, and moved with Blackett to Imperial in 1953. There he established one of the UK's leading centres for cosmic ray research. Harry became one of the founders of Britain's and Europe's participation in the scientific exploration of space. His legacy includes the many space missions in which he played a critical role, commencing with ESRO in 1968. Under his leadership, the group at Imperial diversified into the broad range of scientific topics now covered by them and by his former students presently working in science across the world. The symposium included talks by UK and international colleagues, incorporating reminiscences while tracking Harry's path from his earliest work to the legacy that he left to not only the department at Imperial, but to the widest possible European space community. Contributors included:

- Professor David Southwood, ESA Headquarters
- Professor Roger Bonnet, International Space Science Institute, Bern
- Professor Alan Watson, University of Leeds
- Professor John Quenby, Imperial College London
- Professor Andre Balogh, Imperial College London
- Dr. Richard Marsden, ESA ESTEC
- Dr. Harry Atkinson, formerly SRC/SERC, UK and former chair of ESA