Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Glossary of abbreviations in text and annexes
- Glossary of abbreviations in appendices
- Preface
- 1 The scientific background
- 2 The technical background
- 3 The initiation of the Skylark rocket programme – the IGY and artificial satellites
- 4 Post-IGY developments – NASA – COSPAR – British National Committee for Space Research – British satellite experiments
- 5 The Ariel programme
- 6 The European Space Research Organization
- 7 Commonwealth co-operation in space reseach
- 8 Smaller rockets for scientific purposes – Skua and Petrel
- 9 Attitude controlled Skylark rockets
- 10 The Trend Committee and the Science Research Council
- 11 The transformation of ESRO into ESA
- 12 The Space Science Committee for Europe
- 13 Scientific studies by British space scientists – figure of the earth and the neutral atmosphere
- 14 Scientific studies by British space scientists – the ionosphere, the magnetosphere and cosmic rays
- 15 The contribution from British space scientists to astronomy
- 16 Concluding remarks
- Appendices
- Annexes
- Notes
- Index
16 - Concluding remarks
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Glossary of abbreviations in text and annexes
- Glossary of abbreviations in appendices
- Preface
- 1 The scientific background
- 2 The technical background
- 3 The initiation of the Skylark rocket programme – the IGY and artificial satellites
- 4 Post-IGY developments – NASA – COSPAR – British National Committee for Space Research – British satellite experiments
- 5 The Ariel programme
- 6 The European Space Research Organization
- 7 Commonwealth co-operation in space reseach
- 8 Smaller rockets for scientific purposes – Skua and Petrel
- 9 Attitude controlled Skylark rockets
- 10 The Trend Committee and the Science Research Council
- 11 The transformation of ESRO into ESA
- 12 The Space Science Committee for Europe
- 13 Scientific studies by British space scientists – figure of the earth and the neutral atmosphere
- 14 Scientific studies by British space scientists – the ionosphere, the magnetosphere and cosmic rays
- 15 The contribution from British space scientists to astronomy
- 16 Concluding remarks
- Appendices
- Annexes
- Notes
- Index
Summary
In this account we have attempted to cover the development of space science in the UK over a period a little short of 30 years from the initial steps taken in 1953 to the present time (1983). The concluding date has been arbitrarily chosen – it does not represent any special stage reached. UK space scientists are concerned in a wide variety of projects covering many scientific disciplines. In cosmic X-ray astronomy they are much involved in the ESA EXOSAT satellite to be launched shortly, as well as with bilateral collaborations with West Germany and with Japan. IUE continues to operate very successfully as an ultra-violet observatory satellite. In optical astronomy UK scientists are planning to make maximum possible use of the space telescope and will certainly be concerned in the design and development of instrumentation for the ESA astrometry satellite Hipparcos. The IRAS satellite already pouring out new information about cosmic infrared sources will provide data for UK scientists to work with in infra-red astronomy. In addition UK X-ray astronomy experiments will be flown on Space Lab 1 and Space Lab 2.
A number of UK groups will be involved in instrumentation for GIOTTO, the ESA probe to fly by Halley's Comet in 1986 and for the SPM which will be the first to make observations of the heliosphere well out of the ecliptic plane.
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- Information
- History of British Space Science , pp. 390 - 392Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1986