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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0542.PDF
552 FLIGHT, 27 April 1961 Missiles and Spaceflight SCIENCE IN FLORENCE By Kenneth Owen THE second International Space Science Symposium was ameeting of contrasts—between the old tradition of the cityof Galileo and Leonardo and the new science of space;and between the quiet, esoteric start of the meeting and the blare of world interest in space affairs with which, thanks to Maj Gagarin'sorbital flight, the week ended. There could have been no more stimulating setting in which to learn of man's first step into space. Man in space, however, was not the subject of the meeting.Organized by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council of Scientific Unions, in association with theItalian National Research Council, the symposium was concerned with reports on a variety of aspects of unmanned research intospace. These included radio and optical tracking, telemetry and data recovery, and scientific results from satellites and spacecraft. The reports were of two types. On the first day of the COSPARmeeting, in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence, on April 10, national reports were presented on behalf of 18 member-countries. Thesewere followed during April 11-14 by specialized papers by individual scientists. In this article extracts from the Bfitish, Soviet andUnited States national reports are given. United Kingdom. In the introduction to the Royal Society's reporton behalf of the United Kingdom, the Society states that scientific experiments in vertical sounding rockets and in satellites are beingcarried out or planned by groups in universities and Government laboratories. Tracking and data recovery, theoretical studies andthe development of new instruments and techniques for use in space research are also undertaken. The general "overseeing" of the scientific content of the wholeprogramme is the responsibility of the British National Committee on Space Research. This committee reports to the Council of theRoyal Society, and advises the Minister for Science through the Space Research Steering Group on scientific aspects. Facilities for carrying British instruments in Earth satellitesare being provided by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration; collaborative experiments with Canada andFrance have begun; and a satellite prediction service and World Data Centre C for rockets and satellites are operated by the DSIRRadio Research Station at Slough. Detailed points mentioned in the report include the following:—Tracking and Data Recovery. The need for optical tracking of high accuracy is widely recognized but is difficult to meet in theEnglish climate. An attempt to avoid this limitation has been made by installing optical tracking stations at the Royal Observatory,Edinburgh, and on the island of Malta. One of the recognized shortcomings of present-day precisionoptical tracking equipment is that it is expensive both to make and to operate, or has severe limitations in accuracy and sensitivity.A number of groups in the UK are working towards designs which promise to overcome these difficulties. Among the techniquesbeing developed are a photo-electric method at University College, London, and the use of image intensifiers at Imperial College,London. It is hoped in this latter method to take advantage of the much greater quantum efficiency of photo-cathodes compared withthe human eye and photographic emulsions. . . In the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, on April 10, Mayor Giorgio La Pira (right) welcomed delegates to the space science symposium. COSPAR President H. C. van de Hulst of the Netherlands is second from left. With Prof A. A. Blagonravov of the Soviet Union on the extreme left. The heading picture shows the grounds of the Palazzo Pitti, where the scientific sessions of the meeting were'he/d Atmospheric Structure and Composition. It is planned to extend thealtitude at which density determinations from rockets are made by tracking a light balloon ejected from the rocket. It is also intendedthat the wind and temperature measurements using the grenade method will be extended so that a systematic study of diurnal andseasonal variations becomes possible . . . The Meteorological Office are planning to examine the verticaldistribution of ozone in the atmosphere by measuring the absorp- tion of solar radiation across the Huggins band. A rocket-borneexperiment is to be flown shortly in Australia, and it is hoped to mount a similar experiment in a suitable satellite (since an-nounced as UK Scout 2) ... Geomagnetism. In the Geophysics Department of Imperial College.London, studies of possible techniques for exploring the geomag- netic field from rockets and satellites are in progress. It is plannedto perform experiments using Skylark to carry a proton precession magnetometer. Micrometeorite Studies. Queen's University of Belfast are makingmicrometeorite studies by using the microphone detector type of equipment in Skylark. Micrometeorite studies using a differeminstrument technique are in progress at the Jodrell Bank station of Manchester University, and Skylark rockets are to carry the detectors.These consist of thin aluminium foils in which holes are formed b\ impacting particles. The holes are scanned by sunlight, and thetransmitted light pulses are detected by silicon cells. Calibration holes allow an estimate of micrometeorite size to be made. Aform of instrument suitable for installation in satellites is being developed (since announced for UK Scout 2)...Cosmic Radiation. The first Scout satellite carrying UK instruments includes a cosmic ray detector of Imperial College, London. Thedetector is intended to have an operational test soon in a high- altitude research rocket in Australia ... At the University ofSouthampton it is proposed to develop equipment for rocket and satellite experiments in which the higher-energy components ofprimary cosmic rays will be studied. Electromagnetic Radiations and Astronomy. At Jodrell Bank adetailed analysis has been made of the effects of the ionosphere upon the passage of radio waves at frequencies of the order of1 Mc/s from a distant point in space to a satellite in orbit. This analysis has indicated the presence of the focussing and inter-ference effects in the ray paths, and a satellite experiment to deter- ' mine the spatial distribution of radiation at these frequencies bj jusing the occultation of the Earth has been proposed. A steel-tape i aerial system has been tested in a Black Knight rocket. . At the Royal Aircraft Establishment a detailed design study ha?been made of a satellite for astronomy in the ultra-violet. This would be suitable for ultra-violet spectrography of individual starsin the range l,0OO-3,0O0A with a resolution of 1 A, and for relative
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