AspireSpace
				The British Amateur Space / Rocket Programme

UK SPACE QUESTIONS

List of Questions.

1. What Space Organisations exist in the UK ?
2. What UK Space Publications are available ?
3. What UK Rockets are on display ?
4. What UK space related exhibitions are on display ?
5. Does any of the UK Space Launcher infrastructure still exist ?
6. What UK rockets have been launched over the years ?
7. Have any UK Rockets ever launched a payload into orbit ?
8. What are the names of the UK rocket motors ?
9. What are the oldest Space and Astronomy Organisations in the UK ?

What Space Organisations exist in the UK ?

There are numerous space organisations in the UK, some active and others relatively inactive. Whilst this list is not exhaustive, it does at least give a flavour of the level of interest in space in the UK.

• AspireSpace
• ASTRA
• The British Interplanetary Society (BIS)
• The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)
• The British Astronomical Association (BAA)
• The First Millennial Foundation (FMF-UK)
• The Junior Astronomical Society (JAS)
• The British National Space Centre (BNSC)
• Middlesex Advanced Rocketry Society (M.A.R.S)
• Midlands Spaceflight Society
• The Orbital Rocket Society (ORS)
• Paisley Rocketry Society
• Space Age Associates (SAA)
• The Space Education Trust (SET)
• STAAR Research
• United Kingdom Industrial Space Committee (UKISC)
• United Kingdom Rocketry Association (UKRA)
• United Kingdom Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UK-SEDS)

British Space Organisations
Organisation	Address	Publications	Membership Charge
AspireSpace			25 Pounds Sterling per annum
Association in Scotland to Research into Astronautics (ASTRA)	Glasgow	The ASTRA Magazine
The British Interplanetary Society (BIS)	27/29 South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall, London, SW8 1SZ	Spaceflight JBIS (Journal of the BIS)	38 Pounds Sterling per annum
The First Millennial Foundation (FMF-UK)	c/o Dr Derek Crockford, 28 Longcroft Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6EA	The FMF Newsletter (quarterly) The FMF Newsheet	from 25 Pounds Sterling per annum
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)	Burlington Place, Piccadilly, London, W1V 9AG	Astronomy and Geophysics Monthly Notices The Observatory	36 Pounds Sterling per annum
The British Astronomical Association (BAA)	Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1V 9AG	The BAA Journal	31.20 Pounds Sterling per annum
The Junior Astronomical Society (JAS)	Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1V 9AG	The JAS Magazine
Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS)	Christine Sheldon, Whitehaven, Lower Moor, Pershore, Worcs, WR10 2NY	FAS Newsletter
The British National Space Centre (BNSC)		BNSC Spacenews
Middlesex Advanced Rocketry Society (MARS)	c/o Ben Jarvis, Nugents Park, Harrow, Middlesex	The MARS Magazine
Midlands Spaceflight Society (MARS)	c/o Andy Salmon, Olympus Mons, West Midlands,	CapCom	5 Pounds Sterling per annum
The Orbital Rocket Society	Newcastle
The Space Education Trust (SET)	The Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London, W1V OBQ	NA	NA
STAAR Research	John Bonsor, 15 Smith Avenue, Longbar, Glengarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland	Waverider Research Journal	Unknown
United Kingdom Industrial Space Committee (UKISC)
United Kingdom Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UK-SEDS)	c/o The SET, The Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London, W1V OBQ	AURORA - The UK-SEDS Magazine The UK-SEDS Newsletter	13 Pounds Sterling per annum

What UK Space Publications are available ?

• Astronomy Now
• Spaceflight (BIS)
• JBIS (Journal of the British Interplanetary Society)
• AURORA (UKSEDS)
• Space News
• CapCom (Midlands Spaceflight Society)
• Aspiration (AspireSpace)
• Astronomy and Geophysics (RAS)
• The First Millennial Foundation (FMF-UK) Newsletter
• Space

What UK Rockets are on display ?

• Black Arrow R4 - Space Gallery, London Science Museum
• Black Knight
• Petrel - Space Gallery, London Science Musuem
• Skua - Space Gallery, London Science Museum
• Skylark - Space Gallery, London Science Museum and also in the Department of Physics, Leicester University

What Space related Exhibitions are on display ?

• The Space Gallery, at the Science Museum in London - This is well worth a visit. On display are the Apollo 10 Command Module, a full size replica of the Apollo Lunar Module, A Black Arrow Rocket (Black Arrow R4), A Scout Rocket, A V-2 Missile as well as much more.
• The Royal Observatory at Greenwich
• Liverpool Museum
• The London Planetarium

Does any of the UK Space Launcher infrastructure still exist ?

Yes, many of the original buildings at the static test facilities are still standing (although decaying with age and neglect). The following list is of those facilities known to the AspireSpace team (Note, we have not included Military test ranges, of which there are many, even though a number of them are/have been used for launching sounding rockets). There may be more.

• Spadeadam, Cumbria - Blue Streak Static Test Firing Facilities
• HighCliff, Isle of White - Black Arrow Static Test Firing Facilities.
• BAe Royal Ordnance, Westcott, Oxfordshire - the main manufacturing and static test site for UK liquid fuelled engines.
• BAe Royal Ordnance, Sommerfield, Shropshire - the main manufacturing and static test site for UK solid fuelled motors.

What UK rockets have been launched over the years ?

Whilst the following list of UK rockets is not exhaustive, it should serve at least, to give you information of some of the various rockets:

• Blue Streak (Liquid fuelled ballistic missile, single stage - adapted for use as the first stage of the Europa II European Orbital launcher)
• Black Knight (Liquid fuelled sounding rocket, 1 and 2 stage versions)
• Black Arrow (Liquid fuelled orbital launcher, 3 stages - the first two stages being liquid, the third stage apogee boost motor being solid fuelled)
• Skylark (Solid fuelled sounding rocket, 1, 2 and 3 stage versions)
• Skua (Solid fuelled sounding rocket, single stage)
• Petrel (Solid fuelled sounding rocket, single stage)

Have any UK Rockets ever launched a payload into orbit ?

Yes, the Black Arrow R3 Rocket launched a small UK built, scientific satellite (called Prospero) into orbit in October 1971. The Black Arrow launcher programme was then promptly cancelled by the British government.

The launches of the Black Arrow R0, R1 and R2 rockets were sub-orbital test flights. The remaining Black Arrow hardware, the complete Black Arrow R4 launcher, is now on display in the Space Gallery at London's Science Museum.

What are the names of the UK rocket motors ?

Solid Fuelled Motors

1. Waxwing (Upper stage apogee insertion motor - developed for use on the Black Arrow orbital launcher)
2. Stonechat
3. Raven (Developed for use on the Skylark Sounding Rocket)
4. Rook
5. Goldfinch
6. Siskin

Liquid Fuelled Engines

1. Gamma-8
2. Gamma-2
3. LEROS-500 (Upper stage apogee insertion engine)

Ion Engines

1. UK-10 (Ion engine used for orbital station keeping - developed by the Defence Research Agency (DRA) in Farnborough, Hampshire, U.K.)
2. UK-25 (Ion engine used for orbital station keeping - developed by the Defence Research Agency (DRA) in Farnborough, Hampshire, U.K.)

What are the oldest Space, Rocketry and Astronomical Organisations in the UK ?

The oldest astronomical organisation in the UK is undoubtedly the Royal Astronomical Society. The Royal Astronomical Society is based in Piccadilly, London, was founded in 1820.

The oldest space organisation in the UK is the British Interplanetary Society, based in Vauxhall, London, and founded in 1933.

The oldest purely rocketry organisation in the UK is the Paisley Rocketeers, based in Paisley, Scotland, and founded in 1935.