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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0986.PDF
984 FLIGHT International, 21 June 196: Missiles and Spaceflight EUROPE'S SPACE CENTRE THE Head of the Space Department at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, Dr A. W. Lines, is expected to be appointed Director of the European Space Technology Centre (ESTeC), which the European Space Research Organization is to set up in Delft. No official announcement has yet been made, but Dr Lines has already played an important part in the scientific and technical planning behind ESRO's proposed programme, and was chairman of the technology sub-group (of ESRO's Scientific and Technical Working Group) which presented a detailed account of how ESTeC might be organized at the Munich meeting of the ESRO Preparatory Commission last October. This account, from which this description of ESTeC is taken, formed part of the report of the Scientific and Technical Working Group to the Munich meeting (Flight, November 2 and 9, 1961). It gives a full outline of what the space research organization has in mind for Delft, which will clearly become Europe's major centre of space technology. The starting point for the deliberations on this subject was ESRO's proposed eight-year programme, as disclosed in the Munich report and reproduced below. Table I: ESRO's Proposed Eight-year Programme Schedule Years: Short-term projects: Sounding rockets* Medium-term projects: Small satellites in near- Earth orbits Space probes Longer-term projects; Stabilized astronomical satellites Lunar satellites 1 up to 10 2 40 3 65 4 65 4 5 65 6 6 65 4 2 2 7 65 4 3 1 S 65 4 3 i 'Equivalent to a reference rocket capable of carrying 50kg payload to 150km. In order to carry out this programme, the committee stated, a "payload engineering unit" which should be named the European Space Technology Centre (ESTeC) would be essential for the following reasons:— (1) The necessity for systems planning in a central unit with major project equipment being developed by a number of European industries, (2) The clear definition of responsibility for success in relation to the space projects undertaken, (3) The efficient collecting and spreading of new technologies in European industry and research institutes, and (4) The necessity for providing costly test facilities, which should be located at a central unit. It was considered essential that the long-term applied research should have close links with immediate projects, so that the results of such research could rapidly be applied in the development and production of equipment. In addition, the cross-fertilization in terms of ideas from personnel engaged on projects and on applied research was judged to be of considerable importance. Functions of ESTeC The functions of ESTeC are considered to be as follows:— (a) The development and manufacture of rocket payloads, satellites and space probes by the unit itself and by contract with European industry, universities and other research organizations. The scientific requirements for these developments would be received by ESRO headquarters from the Council. ESRO staff would have assisted both the Scientific Committee and its ad hoc working groups in the formulation of these requirements. These requirements would constitute a programme of rocket payloads, satellites and space probes. It would be the responsibility of ESTeC to ensure the technical success of these projects. The responsibility for the scientific measurements and the methods employed for making them DT A. W. Lines, head of the Space Department at Farnborough and probable first director of the European Space Technology Centre would rest with the scientific group responsible for a particular experiment. However, ESTeC should have the power to reject equipment which, in its judgment, is technically unsatisfactory for the environmental conditions to be encountered. If such a situation should arise then ESTeC should give assistance to the scientific group in the development of suitable equipment. In order to fulfil this task it is proposed that for each rocket payload, satellite or space probe, ESTeC should organize an ad hoc working group, the chairman being a staff member of ESTeC. The ad hoc group would consist of the scientists responsible for the experiments in the rocket payload, satellite or space probe, together with staff members of ESTeC and any additional nominees of the Scientific Committee. The responsibility for this work should be with ESTeC, although it must be remembered that the Council would have a general supervisory responsibility for all ESRO work. (b) Applied research in space technology of a short-term nature:— This work is of the type which would result in devices and equipment in a period of time less than about five years. Examples of this are sensing devices and control methods for various types of stabilization of rockets, satellites and space probes. Such work would be of a continuing nature for, for example, higher accuracy, but would result in hardware for use at least every few years, in addition such applied research would be required in methods for temperature control, in further development of conventional methods for power supplies (silicon solar cells and batteries), in the storage of data, in the methods of ground testing, etc. Essentially the need for this type of applied research arises from the scientific programme, although much of it would be initiated by the technologists as their understanding of the general aims of the scientists increased. It seems likely that, in general, the technologists would appreciate the scientific aims and methods more quickly than the scientists would gain experience of the technology and its future possibilities. (c) Applied research in space technology of a long-term nature:— This work is of the type which, in general, would not come to fruition in a time scale less than five years. In some instances it would not be possible to foresee the time scale involved. Examples of this type of work with possible applications in space technology are:— 1. new methods of generation and storage of electrical energy, 2. surface coatings with emissivities.and absorptivities a function of temperature to give passive methods of thermal control, 3. new methods of data storage, 4. electrical methods of propulsion, 5. techniques of communication of data over great distances, 6. the application of solid state circuits in the development of equipment. It is evident that a clear distinction cannot be drawn between applied research in categories (b) and (c). For example, it is difficult to see in which category research on mechanical bearings for operation in vacuo and research on materials for use in vacuo and subject to radiation should be placed. Many such items of applied research could be placed in both categories. (d) In addition to (b) and (c) it would be necessary to make assess ments of possible scientific space missions based on forward-looking
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