50 Years of the UK in Space
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Summer 2012 Issue 35 Special issue: 50 years of the UK in space From Ariel-1 to Solar Orbiter: celebrating half a century of space science Fried by the bomb: the full story of Ariel-1’s demise space:uk 1962: pull-out supplement Plus: UK astronaut’s underwater challenge, scientists plan for mission to Jupiter, innovation in space and postcards from Saturn Contents From the editor 01/09 News Building Europe’s Sun mission, money for Mars research, underwater astronaut and celebrating Saturn I’ve been spending a lot of time with old documents over the past few months. It’s quite a thrill to leaf through Government archives with 10/15 50 years in space ‘Secret’ written in big letters across the front. And it’s only now, 50 years after Ariel-1’s historic flight, that the full details of the satellite’s untimely How Solar Orbiter can trace its heritage back demise can be revealed. We tell the story on page 16. to Ariel-1 The science and engineering that went into Ariel-1 sowed the seeds of 16/19 Ariel-1: the secret the UK space industry. Now worth some £7.5 billion and still growing. Today, the UK’s expertise in building spacecraft is being employed for history missions to the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn, as well as the The story of the UK’s first satellite, from its many satellites that study the Earth. The UK also builds some of the successful launch to untimely demise world’s most sophisticated communications and navigation satellites. You can read more about these missions throughout space:uk. Education and Careers We’ve also included a special supplement, imagining what a 1962 issue of this magazine would have been like. It was great fun to put together 20/21 Ask the experts but made me realise that although space was exciting then, it’s just as exciting now. The colour of planets, golf on the Moon and the joys of space toilets Richard Hollingham Editor 22 Teaching resources 24/25 The UK in space Credit: Credit: 6 13/15 Timeline of UK space history NASA ESA Pull-out section: space:uk 1962 The latest space news from fifty years ago Credit: Credit: 16/19 5 NASA NASA Front cover image: Enceladus hangs below Saturn’s rings while Titan lurks in the background. A new image captured by the Cassini spacecraft Credit: ESA, NASA Follow us: The UK Space Agency is an executive agency of the Department @spacegovuk for Business, Innovation and Skills spacegovuk space:uk is written and edited for the space:uk is designed and produced by UK Space Agency by Boffin Media RCUK’s internal service provider spacegovuk www.boffinmedia.co.uk www.jrs.ac.uk UK to build Sun mission A spacecraft designed to get closer to the Sun than ever auroral displays. Occasionally the Sun releases bursts of matter, before, is to be built in Britain. Astrium UK has been along with high-energy particles. These Coronal Mass Ejections selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the cause surges of electrical activity around the Earth, damaging prime contractor for the Solar Orbiter mission, which satellites in orbit and even bringing down power grids. will make a detailed study of our nearest star and its influence on the Earth. Due for launch in 2017, this mission is extremely challenging. As well as enduring temperatures higher than 500 degrees, The €300 million contract was signed on the anniversary Solar Orbiter will have to cope with powerful bursts of energy of the launch of the UK’s first satellite, Ariel-1, as part of the and eruptions of high energy particles from the Sun’s surface. celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the UK in space. One As a result, the spacecraft will need to be equipped with a of the world’s first scientific satellites, Ariel-1 was also designed specially designed heat shield and a new type of solar array. to study the Sun and its influence on the Earth. “I am delighted that Astrium has won Solar Orbiter,” said Head “The prime contract for this mission is the biggest ever signed of Astrium UK, Colin Paynter. “This contract builds on our between the ESA science programme and a UK company,” said unrivalled heritage in solar missions which includes the SOHO Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, David Williams. “Solar satellite, which is still operational after 17 years and providing Orbiter represents an important stage of the UK’s ambition for valuable data for solar scientists around the world.” growth and innovation and it’s a testament to the skills and expertise of UK industry that we win such major contracts.” The UK Space Agency has also announced a planned £11.5 million investment to be shared between British institutions Solar Orbiter will orbit the Sun in an elliptical orbit where it for the development of four of the mission’s instruments. will capture detailed images of the star and study the solar wind – the stream of charged particles the Sun ejects out into Read more about Solar Orbiter and the legacy of Ariel-1 space. These particles interact with the Earth’s magnetic shield on page 10. – known as the magnetosphere – and produce spectacular Artist’s image of Solar Orbiter Credit: Astrium space:uk 01 Welcome to the summer edition of space:uk, writes Emma Lord, Director of Policy and Operations for the UK Space Agency. I introduced the last issue by commenting on the busy year we were expecting and that has certainly proved to be the case so far. On 26 April we celebrated the anniversary of 50 years of the UK in space when guests at a London conference came together to recall the first UK designed and operated satellite ever launched, Ariel-1. The Secretary of State, Vince Cable, attended the event as well as a number of UK space pioneers and people who work in today’s space sector. I wonder who would have predicted in those early days how the sector in the UK would grow and how many people it would employ by the 21st Two delegates take on ESA astronaut, Paulo Nespoli, during the Mission X event in April century. The last study of the industry showed almost 25,000 Credit: UK Space Agency are employed directly in the space sector with a further 80,000 jobs supported by space. I hope that by the next issue of of challenging questions. If this is the calibre of the next space:uk we will be able to update these figures with new data. generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers then I think we can say the UK heritage of developing world- And talking of today’s space sector workers, what of leading technology is in safe hands. The real delight was in tomorrow’s? Well some of them came together in London meeting Angel-Lee Richardson, the winner of the competition. at an international event to celebrate the closing of Mission She is not only a first class artist but a very modest and X: Train Like An Astronaut. Mission X is designed by NASA to generous girl who was only too pleased to share the limelight encourage school students, between 8 and 12 years old, to of local media interest with her classmates. be more physically active. It uses astronaut training to teach how good food and exercise play an important role in human As I will continue to mention, the ESA Ministerial meeting performance in space and on the Earth. The UK is one of 16 takes place at the end of 2012. This large project involves nations to have signed up to the challenge by organising colleagues across the Agency working with industry, Mission X educational programmes. There are likely to be even academia, and government colleagues to prepare the UK more next year. position. We are also spending an increasing amount of time working with European colleagues at the ESA headquarters I had a personal first in May when I visited a local primary in Paris as nations from the 19 member states come together school as part of a prize for our design a Christmas card to build the space priorities for the coming years. I wish that it competition, which we ran last year. This is the first time I have were as glamorous as it sounds but in the current economic been offered up as a prize and, as always, it was a pleasure to climate the meetings involve difficult decisions and long meet so many young and enthusiastic children and teachers working days. Working with European partners is always who all listened intently to our talk and asked a number interesting though and keeping my rather rusty French going offers yet another element to a very varied job. Credit: You can keep up to date with the latest news and events on Swindon Advertiser our website or through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. And don’t forget the new blog for a more personal view from inside the Agency. www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency Emma Lord, UK Space Agency Director of Policy and Operations 02 space:uk UK first for NASA Bright ideas rewarded UK space scientists and engineers have delivered the first completed instrument for Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. The Mid InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) took more than 200 people to build and has resulted in a camera so sensitive it would be able to see a candle on one of Jupiter’s moons.