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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1113.PDF
FLIGHT, 17 August 1961 215 SPACE DIVERSITY IN BRITAIN AT a time when the countries of Europe are coming together inspace as in other spheres, there seem almost as manyseparate space-minded departments, groups and estab- lishments in Britain as there are countries in Europe. The maindifference is that Britain's constituent elements show few signs of coming together. We might not have any satellites in orbit, themessage seems to be, but you should see our committees. Perhaps the major direct space-research project is the first jointUS/UK satellite, ionospheric and cosmic-ray experiments for which have been designed and built by university scientists atBirmingham, Imperial College and University College, London. This opportunity to place British experiments in orbit is the resultof a generous offer made by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, whose Goddard Space Flight Center is providingthe satellite structure, complete with telemetry and power sources. NASA will also provide the Scout four-stage, all-solid launchvehicle, and launch facilities at Wallops Station, Wallops Island, Virginia. It is hoped that these facilities will be used in this con-nection early next year. Following the completion of individual test programmes, thefirst set of British instruments was sent to the USA in June this year. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,Maryland, the British experiments were integrated into the satellite as a whole, and the complete prototype model is now being sub-jected to vibration, heat, cold, vacuum and other tests. Experiments chosen for the second joint satellite were announcedlast April, and the design of the satellite is now being discussed by teams from both countries. The second satellite is expected to bevery similar in layout to the first, as illustrated above. The British experiments are co-ordinated through the BritishNational Committee on Space Research, which is a committee of the Royal Society with Sir Harrie Massey of UCL as its chairman.Government money for the experiments, however, comes from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, which in turncomes under the Office of the Minister for Science, Lord Hailsham. This procedure applies also to a number of other space-orientedinvestigations by university groups. The Royal Society is the national body representing Britain inCOSPAR, the Committee on Space Research of the International Council of Scientific Unions. In the British national report pre-sented at the recent COSPAR meeting in Florence, the Society explained things this way: "The general 'overseeing' of the scienti-fic content of the whole [British space] programme is the responsi- bility of the British National Committee on Space Research. Thiscommittee reports to the Council of the Royal Society, and advises the Minister for Science through the Space Research SteeringGroup on scientific aspects." Equipment at the new Winkfield Minitrack Station, near Windsor Mock-up of the first joint USjUK satellite. Five are planned The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has itsfingers in a number of space pies in addition to the joint satellite. Through its Radio Research Station at Slough, which is steadilyexpanding its own space interests in many directions, the Depart- ment now has responsibility for the new Minitrack tracking stationat Winkfield, near Windsor. The main building and equipment for this station, worth some £250,000, were supplied on loan by theUS Government, who also provided free a teleprinter link between Winkfield and the Goddard Space Flight Center. Personnel of theRadio Research Station operate the Minitrack facility, which came into use at the beginning of this year. The main Radio Research Station at Slough is the home ofWorld Data Centre C for rockets and satellites, and also provides this country's official satellite-prediction service. DSIR has also provided money towards the construction andoperation of the large steerable radio telescope at Manchester University's Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories at JodrellBank, which has played a significant part in tracking many major satellites and space probes. One recent example of Jodrell Bank'swork comprised the joint efforts with Russian scientists to trace possible radio signals from the Soviet Venus probe. The Guided Weapons Department of the Ministry of Aviation'sRoyal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, also, is deep in the space business, both in connection with the development of theBlue Streak launch vehicle and the design of satellites which might conceivably be launched, and in the observation and analysis ofsatellite orbits. The Radio Department of RAE includes in its work the operation of a Transit satellite tracking station at Lasham Airfield. Yet another government department has lately become interested,and involved, in space. The General Post Office has been "study- ing problems associated with communications satellite systems"and in particular is collaborating with the USA in the Relay and Rebound communications-satellite experiments. A ground radiostation is being built on the Lizard, Cornwall, in preparation for satellite tests next year. These tests will cover the transmisson ofspeech, telegraphy and television across the Atlantic. Private British companies as well as government departments areactively concerned with space affairs. Individual firms have carried out contract work for the Ministry of Aviation, but the maindevelopments over the past year have been the formation of the British Space Development Company, and the collaborative workby Hawker Siddeley Aviation and the French SEREB which led to the formation of the European industrial space study group knownas Eurospace. Both organizations now have working groups engaged on specific investigations. It seems clear that, when Europe really gets into the spacebusiness and the air is thick with contracts, there will need to be one national organization or establishment in this country to takeall space activity under Us wing. Life is hard enough already without competition between the Ministry of Aviation, the GPOand the Office of the Minister for Science; or between the DSIR, the Royal Society, the Government's Steering Group and theuniversities. Where might such a civilian space agency or space centre belocated? Let us start the ball rolling by suggesting the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, with a radio offshoot at theRadio Research Station, Slough. KENNETH OWEN
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