Spaceflight A British Interplanetary Society Publication Britain back in Space Vol 58 No 1 January 2016 £4.50 www.bis-space.com 1.indd 1 11/26/2015 8:30:59 AM 2.indd 2 11/26/2015 8:31:14 AM CONTENTS Editor: Published by the British Interplanetary Society David Baker, PhD, BSc, FBIS, FRHS Sub-editor: Volume 58 No. 1 January 2016 Ann Page 4-5 Peake on countdown – to the ISS and beyond Production Assistant: As British astronaut Tim Peake gets ready for his ride into space, Ben Jones Spaceflight reviews the build-up to this mission and examines the Spaceflight Promotion: possibilities that may unfold as a result of European contributions to Suszann Parry NASA’s Orion programme. Spaceflight Arthur C. Clarke House, 6-9 Ready to go! 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ, England. What happens when Tim Peake arrives at the International Space Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 3160 Station, where can I watch it, listen to it, follow it, and what are the Fax: +44 (0)20 7582 7167 broadcasters doing about special programming? We provide the Email: [email protected] directory to a media frenzy! www.bis-space.com 16-17 BIS Technical Projects ADVERTISING Tel: +44 (0)1424 883401 Robin Brand has been busy gathering the latest information about Email: [email protected] studies, research projects and practical experiments now underway at DISTRIBUTION the BIS, the first in a periodic series of roundups. Spaceflight may be received worldwide by mail through membership of the British 18 Icarus Progress Report Interplanetary Society. Details including Library First came Daedalus, now Icarus and Spaceflight catches up with subscriptions are available from the above address. progress in the last two years on concepts for a starship, one of the most exciting possibilities facing mankind. * * * Spaceflight is obtainable from UK newsagents 20-23 Unseen challenges in a Mars colony and other retail outlets in many countries. In the event of difficulty contact: Warners Konrad Szocik examines the psychological and social challenges facing Group Distribution, The Maltings, Manor Lane, humans in a Mars colony and looks at the kind of society that could Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH, England. develop in an autonomous settlement separated from Earth. Tel: +44 (0)1778 391 000 Fax: +44 (0)1778 393 668 24-27 IAC 2015 at the Holy City * * * David Todd reports from Jerusalem on the atmosphere at the 66th Spaceflight is a publication which promotes the International Astronautical Congress and reviews projects, programmes mission of The British Interplanetary Society. and future projects discussed. 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 32-33 Birthplace of the V-2 Interplanetary Society. Alan Marlow and BIS members were with a tour group visiting several places where German rocketry began and matured in the 1930s, taking * * * in the remains of production facilities in the Harz Mountains. Back issues of Spaceflight are available from the Society. For details of issues and prices go to www.bis-space.com or send an sae to the address at top. Regular Features * * * 5 Letter from the Editor Published monthly by the British Interplanetary Society. Registered Company No: 402498. 10-11 ISS Operations Summary – 1 to 31 October 2015 Registered Charity No: 250556. Printed in the UK by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd. 12 Briefing notes – news shorts from around the world * * * 13-15 Satellite Digest – 516 October 2015 Copyright © British Interplanetary Society 2016 ISSN 0038-6340. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced 28 Obituary – George E Mueller (1918-2015) or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo- 29 Off the Shelf – Sacramento’s Moon Rockets – Breaking the Chains of Gravity copying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission 30 Correspondence – Setting the record straight – Life Force – A promise for the from the Publishers. Photocopying permitted future? by license only. * * * 31 Flashback – A regular feature looking back 50 years ago this month The British Interplanetary Society is a company limited by guarantee. 34-37 Society News – The BIS at Autographica – Jim Lovell at Space Lectures – The Martian – A visit from NASA Mission The British Interplanetary Society promotes the 38 What’s On exploration and use of space for the benefit of humanity, by connecting people to create, educate and inspire, and advance knowledge in Cover image: Tim Peake gets ready for his six-month mission to the International Space Station (see all aspects of astronautics. pages 4-9). ESA Spaceflight Vol 58 January 2016 3 3.indd 3 11/26/2015 8:31:27 AM TIM PEAKE Peake on countdown – to the ISS and beyond... Astronauts try out the Orion mock-up during a test of the ergonomics for NASA’s next crew vehicle which could one day be flying ESA astronauts beyond the Moon. Lockheed Martin t has been a long time coming but the UK’s spacecraft, to the Mir space station on 18 May such as telecommunications, remote sensing first official government-supported human 1991. Since then attitudes to human space and the more recent Galileo navigation satellite space flight (HSF) will begin when Tim flight have changed, largely as a result of the programme. Materials science was the way IPeake is launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft involvement of the European Space Agency in in for British participation in the ESA human from the Baykonur cosmodrome at 11.13 GMT the International Space Station, the fabrication space flight programme, a field in which the on Tuesday 15 December. His mission to the of modules and cargo supply vehicles and the UK had already achieved strong recognition for International Space Station is scheduled to last routine assignment of European astronauts the limited amount of work which had received approximately six months. In that time he will as crewmembers. Now, the UK joins an elite ESA support on the reciprocal arrangement of conduct a wide range of scientific experiments, group of astronauts who have visited the ISS. fees-in/work-out. carry out a number of research tasks, may But will Tim Peake have another crack at conduct EVA, will certainly be monitored Prime slots going into space on behalf of the government? closely by physicians and will definitely be Tim Peake was one of six astronauts selected Future participation depends upon sustained watched by children across the UK on a range on 20 May 2009, a group known as The involvement between the UK and Europe’s of educational programmes and activities. Shenanigans, which also included Samantha HSF programmes and that is by no means It is hoped by many organisations, Cristoforetti and Luca Parmitano from Italy, certain. Which is why support for Peake’s companies and universities that Tim Peake’s Alexander Gerst from Germany, Andreas mission over the next several months could be mission will also result in a reinvigoration of Mogensen from Denmark and Thomas crucial to the national debate, which must not interest in UK space activities and in a more Pesquet from France. After Peake’s launch, rest solely on the fascination held by children enlightened awareness of the benefits to only Pesquet remains from the 2009 group yet and young people, who are still some way off accrue from this work. The UK has prevailed to fly. He is assigned a slot on the Expedition being the decision-makers of the near-term. as a leading member of the European Space 50/51 mission to launch in November 2016. What is needed now is a transfer of load Agency despite vacillation and indifference Although recruited as ESA astronauts, two of from the backs of school teachers to the from past governments. But that is behind us only three women selected never flew; Claudie responsibilities held by universities and now and a more vigorous attitude from the UK Haigneré resigned before assignment and research institutes to apply pressure on Space Agency, still pitifully low on resources, Marianne Merchez left to pursue a career in government to capitalise on future potential has propelled interest in space from a remote medicine. by consolidating the links now. In this way, backwater to prime time television and media Current UK involvement has been based on extending the volume of work on materials coverage. a readjustment of funding support for human science and research into human physiology The second British astronaut to fly in space, space flight, a non-obligatory programme to in space to new levels of international it has been more than 24 years since Helen which previous governments had declined to cooperation and development fully integrating Sharman was launched, also in a Soyuz contribute, instead firmly backing applications UK science and engineering into the European 4 Spaceflight Vol 58 January 2016 4-9.indd 4 11/26/2015 8:31:41 AM TIM PEAKE mix, which has proven so strong in these fields However, few believed that the single element internationally. contract for EM-1 (Exploration Mission-1, the Beyond the immediate future, and not first SLS flight) would be anything other than a necessarily to the end of the current agreement one-off but that is changing. to support the ISS through 2024, there are Few now doubt that ESA will probably get the possibilities which rely on continued European contract to build successive Service Modules involvement with the United States in its for future reusable Orion spacecraft. And if that national human space flight programme. If the happens, Europe will be fully integrated into UK achieves solid integration in a sustained NASA’s next-generation spacecraft capable support for European HSF, it will leave the door of carrying humans beyond Earth orbit.