British space program
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The British space program was a plan by the British government and other interested bodies to promote British participation in the international market for satellite launches, satellite construction and other space endeavours. Significantly, however, it has never been government policy to create a British astronaut corps or place a Briton on the Moon. Instead the focus has been on unmanned satellite launches.
[edit] Origin of the Space Program
Scientific interest in space travel existed in the UK prior to the Second World War, particularly amongst members of the British Interplanetary Society (founded in 1933) whose members included Sir Arthur C Clarke, writer and inventor of the geostationary telecommunications satellite who joined after WWII.
As with the other post-war space-fareing nations, the British government's interest in space was primarily military. Early programmes reflected this interest. As with other nations, much of the rocketry knowledge was obtained from captured German scientists who were persuaded to work for the British.
Initially work was done on smaller surface to air missiles such as Blue Steel before progress was made towards launches of larger orbit-capable rockets.
[edit] British launches
Britain has initiated a number of launches of rockets and satellites in the last fifty-six years. Development of a British launch system to carry a nuclear device took place from 1950 onwards, in Britain and Woomera in Australia. Falstaff (rocket) a British hypersonic test rocket was launched from Woomera between 1969 and 1979.
Rockets were tested on the Isle of Wight and both tested and launched from Woomera. These included Black Knight and Blue Streak rockets and the Black Arrow, a satellite launching rocket based on the Black Knight and Blue Streak rockets. Black Knight (R3) launched Prospero X-3 the first and only British satellite to be launched using an all-British rocket. Communication with the satellite was terminated in 1996.
[edit] Cancellation of the government program
The official British government program of British satellite launches was cancelled in the early 1970's. However, British participation in space continues through working with other space agencies.
[edit] British contribution to other nation's space programs
Communication and tracking of rockets and satellites in orbit is achieved using stations such as Jodrell Bank. During the Space Race, a number of these stations also traced the orbit of the Sputnik satellites on behalf of the Russian government.
As well as providing tracking facilities for other nations, scientists from Great Britain have participated in other nation's space programmes, notably contributing to the development of NASA's early space programmes (see 'Failure is not an Option' by Eugene Kranz), co-operation with Australian launches, the European Union's European Space Agency, modules and apparatus for the International Space Station and a joint Anglo-Soviet launch, JUNO which launched Great Britain's only British astronaut, Helen Sharman OBE.
[edit] British Astronauts
Because the Briths government has never considered a manned space flight programme and does not contribute any funding to the manned space flight part of ESA's activities, the few British born astronauts have launched with one of the other space-going nations or organisations, typically either the United States or Russia.
[edit] British space programme and other activities, present to the future
A revival of the official national space programme was seen in 1982 when the British government officially backed the HOTOL project, an ambitious attempt at a re-usable space plane using air-breathing rocket engines designed by Alan Bond. Work began at British Aerospace. However, having classified the engine design as 'top secret' the government then ended funding for the project, terminating the project.
Britain continues to contribute scientific elements to satellite launches and space projects. The recent British satellite Beagle 2, sent with several international satellites to study the planet Mars,was lost after it failed to respond. Beagle2 was controlled from the British National Space Centre.
Interest in space continues in Britain's private sector with several British companies developing new designs for space planes for satelite launching or to cater to the new market in space tourism.
Virgin Galactic, a branch of the British-based Virgin group owned by SirRichard Branson intends to sell space flights to the general public using space planes provided by Mojave Aerospace Ventures developed from Burt Ruttan's SpaceShip One. Flights could begin as early as 2008.
[edit] British Space Program in Fiction
Dan Dare Victor Carroon Victor Bergman Space: 1999 Cmdr Nathan Spring Star Cops.
See also List of Fictional Astronauts
[edit] In Literature
A Vertical Empire: The History of the UK Rocket and Space Programme, 1950-1971 by C. N. Hill
Douglas Millard, An Overview of United Kingdom Space Activity 1957-1987, ESA Publications.
[edit] External links and sources
European Space Agency http://www.esa.com/ NASA http://www.nasa.com/ http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/6133/index.html British National Space Centre http://www.bnsc.gov.uk/home Information on Blue Streak: http://www.spaceuk.org/bstreak/bs/f1.htm History of HOTOL: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/6133/hotol.html Virgin Galactic: http://www.virgingalactic.com/ | | |
