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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1783.PDF
992 FLIGHT International, II June /964 "The Skylark rocket continues to be the main vehicle in which UK scientists can fly experiments. In 1963,14 Skylark rockets con- taining 59 scientific experiments were launched and, of the main and subsidiary experiments combined, about 54 per cent were successful and 15 per cent were partially successful. At the time of writing (April), the first Skylark round to incorporate an attitude-stabilized head is in the final stage of preparation for launch. The availability of such a head will provide an additional research tool for UK investigators planning experiments in solar and stellar astronomy and in meteorology. The stabilization is accomplished using gas jets to align the head of the rocket in a known direction relative to the Sun, this being established using light-sensitive 'eyes' which seek out and point towards the Sun. Development continues towards improving the accuracy of stabilization, and some later heads will incorporate Moon-sensing 'eyes'. . . . "The harmonious co-operation with the USA in the domain of satellite-born experiments continues. The second US/UK satellite, Ariel 2, was launched on March 27, 1964. The payload for the next in the series, UK-3, has been selected, and work has started in the UK on its engineering under the supervision of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. "Several experiments have been proposed as a result of NASA's Above, Manchester University's new Mk 2 radio telescope atjodrell Bank, Cheshire, built under a £300,000 grant from DSIR, has a 125ft (major axis) elliptical paraboloid bowl and was designed for wavelengths shorter than those accessible to the 250ft diameter Mk I instrument (seen in background), below, artist's impression of the second aerial to be erected at the GPO station at Goonhilly Down, Cornwall. Goonhilly will be out of service for about six months from September for a major expansion of facilities, including construction of the new aerial, after which the station should be operational in time for the launch of the first Early Bird satellite. Designers and consulting engineers for both of the new aerials are Husband and Co of Sheffield Missiles and Spaceflight probe in the satellite—which cannot penetrate further because it strikes peak ionization in the F layer at this height. There is little doubt that it comes down almost to the Earth's surface at about 2,000 miles either side of the equator, however, and is ducted by geomagnetic field lines. The arch is not at a steady height all round the equator; it expands and contracts in phase with the Sun, and the structure is substantially altered on magnetically disturbed days. The precise mechanism at work to produce the arch, or arches (there may well be more than one) is still controversial. Dr King thinks it due to the vertical and sideways movement of the electrons interacting with the geomagnetic field. The picture has been built up by integrating the equatorial data from Alouette collected at the Singapore station since October 1962. This is the only equatorial station available to receive Alouette data, and so the anomaly has not been detected at the other three Alouette ground stations (two US and one Canadian). Segments of the arch were observed by Ariel 1 but could not be fully traced, since the satellite cut through the arch only on occasional orbits and was not instrumented to plot it three-dimensionally. The top section (above 700 miles) and the lower region (below 300 miles) have still to be plotted in detail. This reflects the limitations of the first Alouette's orbit. The next Alouette, scheduled for launch within the coming year, will be in a higher orbit and so should clarify the upper portion of the feature, and indicate the position of possible other arches. A low-orbiting satellite seems to be required to sort out what happens below 300 miles. SPACE SCIENCE IN BRITAIN British scientists wishing to fly experiments in rockets or satellites have found that prospects have increased over the past few years, according to the Royal Society. In the British national report presented to last month's COSPAR meeting in Florence, the Society stated: "In addition to the opportunities offered by the continuing national rocket programme and the series of co-operative US/UK satellites, he (the scientist) has had the promise of facilities to be made available by the European Space Research Organization, of which Britain is a leading member and, if his interests lie in the fields of astronomy or geophysics, he has had the opportunity of submitting experiments for consideration by NASA for inclusion in one of their orbiting observatory satellites. In addition, invita- tions to make proposals for other spacecraft have been received from NASA. UK experiments have also been flown in the vehicles of other countries, and there are plans for further such international co-operation.... offer to consider UK experiments for inclusion in their spacecraft, and experiments have been accepted for the orbiting solar observa- tories OSO-D and OSO-E and for the orbiting astronomical observatory OAO-C. At NASA's invitation, experiments similar to two of those in Ariel 1 are to be included in two USA ionosphere satellites, S-48 and S-30A. "Co-operation with France has occurred in the past with UK experimenters contributing to some French rocket payloads, and this has now been extended into the field of satellite-borne experi- ments with the proposed inclusion of an experiment similar to one of the Ariel 1 experiments in the first French satellite, FR-1, due to be launched by NASA. "Preparation continues towards the launching several years hence of satellites by the European Space Research Organization and the first two satellites, which will be small and unstabilized, will contain several British experiments. ESRO is also planning medium- stabilized satellites and a large astronomical satellite, and British scientists have taken part in the preparatory discussions concerning these projects, and have submitted experimental proposals for them. The Royal Aircraft Establishment has undertaken design studies for these satellites and is also co-operating with the European Launcher Development Organization in the engineering of satellite launching vehicles and advanced propulsion systems. "The Royal Aircraft Establishment has also continued its worK on satellite technology, including studies of power supplier- materials for space applications and data storage techniques: these studies are applicable to a wide range of subjects from solar spectro- scopy to communications satellites...."
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