Arthur C. Clarke 1954

Spaceflight A British Interplanetary Society Publication Spacefest 7 60th Anniversary Special! Vol 58 No 10 October 2016 £4.50 www.bis-space.com 361.indd 361 8/18/2016 10:05:41 AM UK Thor sites INBOX 362 Spaceflight Vol 58 March 2016 362.indd 362 8/18/2016 10:05:54 AM CONTENTS Editor: Published by the British Interplanetary Society David Baker, PhD, BSc, FBIS, FRHS Sub-editor: Volume 58 No. 10 October 2016 Ann Page 372-375 Controlling Exposure to Deadly Martian Microbes Production Assistant: People are dead set on going to Mars. Dr John Cain provides the last of Ben Jones his two articles examining the risks inherent in deep-space exploration Spaceflight Promotion: with an examination of the possible dangers from working on the Gillian Norman surface of the Red Planet. Can extremophiles from other worlds threaten Spaceflight human life – all of it? Arthur C. Clarke House, 27/29 South Lambeth Road, 386-388 Spacefest 7 London, SW8 1SZ, England. Chris Starr attended the seventh Spacefest event this year at Tucson, Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 3160 Arizona, 9-12 June and reflects on a gathering of all the “greats” in the Fax: +44 (0)20 7582 7167 world of space together with astronauts, historians, artists and writers of Email: [email protected] science fact and science fiction. www.bis-space.com ADVERTISING Spaceflight at 60 Special! Tel: +44 (0)1424 883401 Email: [email protected] 376 Introduction DISTRIBUTION Spaceflight may be received worldwide by mail through membership of the British 377-379 Roots of Ownership – the origins of the BIS and the Interplanetary Society. Details including Library Journal subscriptions are available from the above address. 379-383 Spaceflight Rising – the story of the magazine’s * * * history Spaceflight is obtainable from UK newsagents and other retail outlets in many countries. In the event of difficulty contact: Warners 384 Spaceflight and me – David Hardy on what Spaceflight Group Distribution, The Maltings, Manor Lane, meant to him Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH, England. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391 000 Fax: +44 (0)1778 393 668 385 Memories – Clive Simpson on his association with the BIS and Spaceflight * * * Spaceflight is a publication which promotes the mission of The British Interplanetary Society. Opinions in signed articles are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or the Council of the British Interplanetary Society. Regular Features * * * 364-366 News Analysis – Space action at Farnborough Back issues of Spaceflight are available from the Society. For details of issues and prices go 366 A Letter from the Editor to www.bis-space.com or send an sae to the address at top. 367 Briefing notes – news shorts from around the world * * * Published monthly by the British Interplanetary 368-371 ISS Report – 16 July-15 August 2016 Society. Registered Company No: 402498. Registered Charity No: 250556. Printed in the UK by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd. 389 Flashback – A regular feature looking back 50 years ago this month * * * 390-391 Satellite Digest – 525 July 2016 Copyright © British Interplanetary Society 2016 ISSN 0038-6340. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced 392-397 Society News – The BIS Space Conference - A Labour of Love - The or transmitted in any form or by any means, Society’s 71st AGM - Removing Debris - The Sokol Spacesuit electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission 398 What’s On from the Publishers. Photocopying permitted by license only. Cover image: Engineers check out the hatch on NASA’s Orion spacecraft but space suits will be little * * * protection to the body if microbial contamination infects the crew (see pages 372-275). NASA The British Interplanetary Society is a company limited by guarantee. Opposite: Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, five levels of work platforms for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket are in view in High Bay 3. The second Mission half of the F-level work platforms, F north, is in view above the other four levels. The F platforms were The British Interplanetary Society promotes the installed on the north and south sides of the high bay, about 58.5 m above the floor. Installation of the exploration and use of space for the benefit of humanity, by connecting people to create, F platforms marks the midpoint of platform installation. The F platforms are the fifth of 10 levels of work educate and inspire, and advance knowledge in platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration all aspects of astronautics. Mission 1 planned for launch two years from now. NASA/Michelle Stone Spaceflight Vol 58 October 2016 363 363.indd 363 8/18/2016 10:06:12 AM NEWS ANALYSIS Space action at Farnborough By Nick Spall Adjacent to a visiting delegation from Italy, the UK Space Agency was a reassuring presence at the 2016 Farnborough International Air Show. Nick Spall he Farnborough International Air Show will be maintained via present contracts. A key time of change for the UK’s space sector, with in July was the first to occur after the question is whether the post Brexit access to current EU-led space research funds needing UK’s “Brexit” vote to leave the European new markets like China and India will actually alternative replacement UK source funding TUnion, but there seemed little holding back enhance the UK’s space satellite manufacturing for the future via the new administration led the business and trade success of the 5-day industry for companies like Astrium, SSTL and by Theresa May. Early signs referred to at the show, much of which included space related ClydeSpace. FIA are that the government appreciates the activity. The dramatic first arrival of the The next few years will be an interesting need for consistent UK excellence with space Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning STOVL related research and activity. ESA membership supersonic “stealth” jet for the UK certainly Presently rising high on a steady but sure for the UK will apparently continue as normal. added to the sense of excitement for both trajectory, the fortunes of Reaction Engines Ltd trade and enthusiast visitors. Over $124bn of may rest on continued support from the British Tim Peake at the FIA government, from ESA and from US interests. international aerospace orders and options Less than a month after he returned from Nick Spall were made at the show. his outstanding 185 day “Principia“ mission In space interest terms, many companies aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 46/47, UK noted how the commercial market for UK astronaut Tim Peake looked sprightly and fit as based satellite manufacture seemed to be he attended the “Futures Day” at the FIA. in good shape – the UK currently employs Tim held a press conference together with 34,000 people, with a value of £11.3bn and an Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, annual growth of 7.5%. It is hoped that this will Energy and Industrial Strategy, Jan Woerner, increase to £40bn by 2030 with a 10% annual Director General of ESA, David Parker, Head growth rate. Worldwide, the space industry of ESA’s Exploration and Human Spaceflight employs 900,000 people, with an annual value and Katherine Courtney, Interim CEO of the of £400bn. UK Space Agency. Tim answered questions from a large crowd Brexit issues of UK students, with up to 7,000 being involved Will the UK be able to sustain its current in the event for STEM outreach activity. He commercial space success outside the EU spoke of his amazing experiences aboard for the future? The currently cheaper pound the ISS, including the feelings of travelling sterling may make the UK’s space hardware at Mach 25, conducting the first EVA for a and software more attractive abroad and ESA British astronaut, docking the Dragon resupply orders for projects like Galileo and Copernicus freighter, the view from orbit 400 km above 364 Spaceflight Vol 58 October 2016 364-366.indd 364 8/18/2016 10:06:25 AM NEWS ANALYSIS Earth, the exciting Soyuz re-entry and the shown off. The latter is the key engine element physiological changes that he experienced for cooling very hot airstreams from over 1,000º over the last six months in zero-g and the C to -50º C in 1/100th second, while preventing effects still to come. the formation of ice at sub-zero temperatures. Tim believed that it will be another six At the FIA, RE announced the formation months before he fully regains his previous of a new US-based subsidiary, “Reaction strength, muscle mass and bone density. His Engines Inc.”, the purpose being to expand eyesight condition related to increased intra- the company’s development efforts and lead ocular pressure effects is still being assessed. engagement with potential US government Tim is due to spend time in the USA now and industry partners. as part of his ESA duties, post his flight In 2013 RE received a UK government return recovery. It will be interesting to see if “commitment” to £60m support for future he does get an early future flight-slot on the design, manufacture and testing of the SABRE ISS, particularly as he enthusiastically said he engine. This will hopefully come through in full would return without any hesitation. Whether and enable a demonstrator vehicle to fly an he does or not will be dependent on the UK’s engine for air tests in the foreseeable future.

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