59th International Astronautical Congress 2008 Paper ID: 2154 42ND HISTORY OF ASTRONAUTICS SYMPOSIUM (E4) History of UK Contribution to Astronautics (4) Author: Mr. Douglas Millard The Science Museum, United Kingdom, [email protected] A REVIEW OF UK SPACE ACTIVITY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY, 1957-2007 Abstract In over fifty years the United Kingdom has designed, built, launched, operated or otherwise contributed to hundreds of spacecraft and space missions. Its scientists, engineers and officials have carved centres of astronautical excellence around the country, participated in a great number of international space programmes and missions and played a leading role in the establishment of the world's main pan-national space agency (ESA) and its two precursors, the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) and the European Space Research Organization (ESRO). With its Skylark sounding rocket launch of November 1957 the UK was one of the first nations to gather new scientific data as part of the International Geophysical Year. Fifty years on, the UK is an enthusiastic supporter of the Global Exploration Strategy with major commitments to future missions to the moon and to Mars that exploit the nation's expertise in small satellite and planetary robot technology. And while such mission involvement takes UK space technologies out into the solar system as never before the nation continues to excel in Earth orbit with its development and manufacture of large, increasingly powerful telecommunications satellites. The UK's space heritage and its ongoing and directed activities are rich and productive. And yet - the representation of UK space endeavor is all too often skewed, misleading and unduly pejorative: `. British space . more romance than reality.'* Why does such partisan commenatary occur and why has such an attitude prevailed for so long? This paper seeks some answers by reviewing UK space activity and its historiography in the wider and global context of astronautics between 1957 and 2007. * In Praise of . the British Space Programme, The Guardian Newspaper, March 4th, 2008 1.