Can Britain join the space race......at last?

[FourWheelDrift]

I was looking at this site - www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/6133/ earlier today after recalling seeing the rocket testing rigs (that still exist) up at Spacedam, Cumbria and read down past the last attempt we had at a genuine reusable Space vehicle "HOTOL". Reading about Alan Bond and his air burning RB545 rocket engines which were classified "top secret" and never seen the light of day since.

Then I saw Skylon, his latest project with his company Reaction Engines. - www.reactionengines.co.uk/ All looking very interesting again, with the American's having problems with the Shuttle and the Russian's working with old but trusted technology and the Chinese starting to get in orbit I wonder if we, a country that once led the world in industrial innovation can actually get ourselves into the space exploration race. There are undoubtably resources on other planets/moons in our own solar system that might be vital in years to come to us as we use up our own.

Anything is possible I suppose but I have doubts about our country's obsession over the past 100 years of not backing projects.

>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Tuesday 18th October 22:34

[dilbert]

I'm strictly read only on this one, although I hope so!

[simpo two]

No. Not only do we have no money, but if you presented a politician with a £5 note and a £10 note and asked him to take one, he'd have to go away and think about it.

And even if there was some political desire, noisy minorities would rise up and say 'What about the poor starving people?'

So we'll stay here on this foetid isle.

[deevlash]

we could send the poor and the hippies into space

[wedge girl]

On the upside, I'll wager there's no speed cameras on any other planet.

[Pot Bellied Fool]

We have a great tradition of inventiveness, innovation & taking the plunge here in this fantastic Great Britain of ours... (And I say that as a fervant supporter of this Isle, regardless of the political f-wits in charge at any given time)

...only to see it killed by politicians with the attention span of goldfish.

It'd be nice to see some royalties paid by Pratt & Whitney et al to one Mr Whittle for example... TSR2 for another... Bluestreak for another... LCD displays were developed by RSRE iirc rather than any Jap corporation and oh, so many more!

[shadytree]

FourWheelDrift said:

I was looking at this site - www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/6133/ earlier today after recalling seeing the rocket testing rigs (that still exist) up at Spacedam, Cumbria and read down past the last attempt we had at a genuine reusable Space vehicle "HOTOL". Reading about Alan Bond and his air burning RB545 rocket engines which were classified "top secret" and never seen the light of day since. Then I saw Skylon, his latest project with his company Reaction Engines. - www.reactionengines.co.uk/ All looking very interesting again, with the American's having problems with the Shuttle and the Russian's working with old but trusted technology and the Chinese starting to get in orbit I wonder if we, a country that once led the world in industrial innovation can actually get ourselves into the space exploration race. There are undoubtably resources on other planets/moons in our own solar system that might be vital in years to come to us as we use up our own. Anything is possible I suppose but I have doubts about our country's obsession over the past 100 years of not backing projects. >> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Tuesday 18th October 22:34

My old man was on the engine design team for Blue Streak and spent a lot of time testing at Spadeadam, and Woomera in Australia. He's got tons of old photos and bits and bobs in his loft, all quite interesting. Back then the UK were leading the world in Space technology. Shame Tony Benn pulled the Government plug. Blue Streak had a perfect testing record of 11 (i think) succesful launches, which he's very proud of.
It's nice to say "My Old Mans a Rocket Scientist" and really mean it

[8Pack]

Yep! Shadytree, our history since 1945 has been a sad story indeed...

Bankrupt from the start our American buddies refused us the "atomic bomb" which we played a part in, so we did it ourselves instead,(at a cost). we "gave them" the jet engine for 15 units from each U.S. manufacturer, The Radar...."Klystron valve" was a REVELATION" to them...
Their much vaunted P51 Mustang was "useless" until 2 RAF types here in Blighty bolted on a Spitfire engine instead. They forced us to "get rid of our empire" and open up the trade markets (yes! even then!) took from us certain islands in part payment of our debts to them like the Azores....Diego Garcia.....etc plus of course "took posession of the UK aircraft carrier "in perpetuity" for our deliverence from evil.

The "space thing" took place within a very difficult era of bankruptcy and U.S. pressure to replace us on the world stage. Even Mrs T said "No" to Hotol when RR wanted to go ahead.....Oh! If only!..

Sometimes I think that Hitler would have been a better bet....At least he would have found us all jobs!...:shakeshead:

[Eric Mc]

Manning the concentration camps, probably.

Britain, over the years, has successively opted out of any space launcher projects. When it was in a position to lead European efforts into space it essentially gave up that position. The French gladly took over that role, which is why Ariane is Europe's premier launch vehicle today.

Britain does have a very good reputation in satellite and space probe design and construction (despite the very public failure of Beagle).

[Einion Yrth]

Eric Mc said:

Britain does have a very good reputation in satellite and space probe design and construction (despite the very public failure of Beagle).

That was a bit of a 'Blue Peter' project though (old yoghurt cartons and sticky backed plastic) might have been a success if it had had any funding to speak of.

[Dakkon]

Unless serious investment the simple answer is no, we stopped the last of our rocket tests end of last year of early this year, cannot quite remember. so apart from any private organisations doing anything, not a lot is happening.

We are putting money into splitting the atom though, Cern is building even bigger experiments which the UK is a great part of.

[Eric Mc]

The sounding rocket Skylark was withdrawn from use earlier this year after nearly 50 years.

Britain launched its own satellite using its own rocket only once, back in 1971. The programme had already been cancelled when the rocket was launched.

[Einion Yrth]

Eric Mc said:

Britain launched its own satellite using its own rocket only once, back in 1971. The programme had already been cancelled when the rocket was launched.

Prospero - and it's still up there.

[Lion-O]

Although I may get banned for life for this, the Grauniad has an artcile today about The Royal Astronomical Society's call for British manned space exploration.

www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,3605,1595410,00.html

Here's hoping someone is listening. . .

[JagLover]

Given the scale of the investment needed in a Space programme and it's potential to benefit all of humanity I think Britain should participate in multi-national space programmes.

At the smallest scale as a pan EU project. I see little benefit in Britain going it alone.

[Eric Mc]

Britain is a member of ESA (although sometimes a reluctant member).

Did you know that, per head of population, Ireland spends more money on space than Britain does.

[8Pack]

Didn't "Blue streak" become "Prospero" on the last launch and carry on to be built by the French as an Ariane stage?..

Not sure of my facts here so I'm prepared to be shot down....(no pun intended)

[Einion Yrth]

8Pack said:

Didn't "Blue streak" become "Prospero" on the last launch and carry on to be built by the French as an Ariane stage?.. Not sure of my facts here so I'm prepared to be shot down....(no pun intended)

See my link above - Prospero was the British satellite launched by Black Arrow - which, I believe, was a 'relative' of blue streak.

edited to correct launch vehicle name

>> Edited by Einion Yrth on Friday 21st October 07:09