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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0172.PDF
172 FLIGHT, 10 February Missiles and Spaceflight . . . EUROPE'S SPACE PROGRAMME: THE FIRST STEP THE Anglo-French proposals for a joint European pro-gramme to develop a launch vehicle for satellites receiveda generally favourable reception among delegates to the Strasbourg conference last week. Although the conference wasdescribed as "most encouraging," it was emphasized that the actual decisions whether or not to go ahead would be taken by therespective national governments after the delegates had reported back. A final communique issued at Strasbourg stated:— "The conference convened by the Governments of the UnitedKingdom and France at Strasbourg to consider their ideas for the development, through co-operation between European States, ofspace launchers for peaceful purposes, concluded on February 2. "The Anglo-French suggestions have been discussed withdelegates from Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden andSwitzerland, and observers from Austria, Canada, Greece and Turkey. Delegates expressed keen interest in the political, scien-tific, economic and technological advantages of such co-operation. These discussions will be of great assistance to the Governmentsconcerned in considering their response to the Anglo-French suggestions. "The latter provide for the establishment of a Europeanorganization having as its first programme of work the develop- ment of a three-stage launcher using the British rocket BlueStreak as its first stage, a French rocket as its second stage, and a third stage to be developed elsewhere in Europe. The organiza-tion will be empowered to study other projects as the need for them becomes apparent. "All the member-countries of the organization would be givenan opportunity of participating in the scientific, engineering and other work of the organization, thus enjoying the scientific andcommercial benefits that could arise from the development of satellite launchers for peaceful purposes. It is intended that thework previously done on the Blue Streak rocket and the related technology should be put at the organization's disposal for thepurposes outlined above. For its part the French Government would also give to the organization the benefit of the studiescarried out and investments made in the framework of its national programme. "It is envisaged that a Council would be established on whicheach member country would be represented. This Council would create whatever subsidiary organs it considers necessary to carryout the programmes which the organization might decide to undertake. "A number of formulae for financing were proposed during thecourse of the discussions. At the conclusion of the discussions the United Kingdom and French delegations are submitting to theirown and other Governments proposals for financing the first programme in which a launcher based on Blue Streak as the firststage would be developed. Because work on this programme is far advanced in the United Kingdom and because the bulk of thework would take place there the United Kingdom is prepared to accept one-third of the cost of the first programme based on BlueStreak. The share of other countries would be based on their national income, except that those with smaller national incomeswould contribute on a reduced scale. "The United Kingdom and French Governments will now asktheir partners in the conference to study its results with a view to deciding whether to form such an organization with a programmesuch as that outlined above." The total cost of the proposed initial programme is estimatedat £70m over a five-year period, with the following proposed individual contributions: Britain £23,333,000, France£14,399,000, West Gerrmnv £13.244,000, Italv £6,846,000, Spain £2,063,000, Sweden £2,033,000, Belgium £1,993,000, the Nether-lands £1,850,000, Switzerland £1,582,000, Denmark £957,000, Austria £927,000, and Norway £773,000. Approximately 55 perrent of the £70m, it is estimated, will go on further work on Blue Streak; 18 per cent on the French second stage; and nine per centon the third stage. It is apparently agreed that, if the proposed scheme goes ahead,Woomera will be the launching site to be used. Australia has agreed to make its Woomera facilities available for the Europeanprogramme envisaged. During the conference two committees were formed to studyessential questions; these were devoted respectively to techno- logical matters, under the chairmanship of Gen Aubiniere,Director of the Technical and Industrial Department of the French Ministry of Defence; and to finance and administration,with Mr D. W. G. L. Haviland, a Ministry of Aviation Deputy Secretary, as chairman. Speakers at a number of technical sessionsincluded Gen Aubiniere; Sir Harrie Massey, chairman of the British National Committee on Space Research; Sir StejartMitchell, Controller of Guided Weapons and Electronics, Min: ,try of Aviation; and Capt C. F. Booth of the GPO, who spoke onsatellite communications. Sir Steuart, outlining the proposed programme, said tha: itshould be completed in five years and should involve nine major firings, of which the last three would be used to attempt to piacesatellites in orbit. All of the research and capital investmem so far devoted to Blue Streak—estimated at approximately £60m—would be placed at the disposal of the proposed European organization. The talk by Sir Harrie Massey was not concerned with thespace programme which had been officially proposed, but con- sisted of an outline of the type of scientific research which mightbe carried out using satellites. He mentioned specifically a general-purpose satellite weighing 1501b and orbiting at about300 miles; a 1,0001b astronomy satellite including a stabilized platform enabling stars to be viewed; and a deep-space satellitewhich could be used to observe the radiation-belt region between the Earth and the Sun and the general properties of interplanetatyspace. In the House of Commons on Monday last, February 6, MrThorneycroft answered questions on the Strasbourg meeting and the proposed European programme. He said: "It is plain that ifthis organization is formed it will be upon the basis of Blue Streak as a first stage. Australia will undoubtedly be the place fromwhich this particular programme is launched. The capital facili- ties and the like are there. If other Commonwealth countries,now or later, wish to be associated, no doubt provisions could be arranged whereby, by suitable contributions, they could bebrought in. We, of course, welcome every co-operation with the United States of America. We always have co-operated withthem and it certainly is our intention to go on co-operating with them but, if one is to co-operate with someone on something,it is quite a good thing to know a little about how to do it oneself in order to contribute something." Answering a question from Mr S. McMaster, the Ministersaid: "If we have this organization it must be regarded as a long-term enterprise. We are not just going to carry through forfive years a project of this kind and drop it. The first programme will be based on Blue Streak. What will happen five years fromnow will probably not be in my hands. What will happen is that, within the countries who co-operate in Europe, rockets willcontinue to be manufactured." Speaking in Vilseck, West Germany, on February 5, HerrStrauss, the West German Defence Minister, said that West Germany was basically ready to take part in a European spaceresearch project based on Blue Streak, but that European research must be co-ordinated with United States studies. He stated thatWest Germany had no intention of building space rockets of her THE HEAVIEST YET Speculation on the contents and purpose of the 6i-ton Russiansatellite launched on February 4 followed an exceptionally non- committal announcement of the launching. The announcement,issued by Tass the same day, stated:— "In accordance with the plan for the creation and developmentof space-ships of increased weight, the launching of a heavy artificial Earth satellite was carried out in the USSR onFebruary 4, 1961 with the help of an improved multi-stage rocket. The weight of the satellite, without the weight of the laststage of the carrier rocket, is 6,483kg (14,2931b). "A radio-telemetric system for the control of the parameters ofthe elements of the design and equipment for trajectory measure- ments has been installed in the satellite. The whole system ofapparatus on board the satellite functioned normally while it was being placed into orbit and during its further movement alongthe orbit. "Preliminary data obtained with the help of a terrestrialmeasuring and calculating complex have made it possible to determine the following parameters of the satellite's orbit. Theperiod of revolution is 89.8min; the perigee height is 223.5km (139 miles); the apogee height is 327.6km (204 miles); and theinclination of the orbit is 64° 57'. "The measured parameters of the orbit of the satellite are closeto those which were intended. The scientific and technical tasks set for the launching of the satellite have been carried out."
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