UK HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT

Hello Gang,

Here is another call for a more active role for Britain in Space.

Alex

UK HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT

http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/1191/l/en-us

and

"The Scientific and Cultural Case for UK Participation in Human Space Exploration" - maintained by Dr Ian Crawford and Dr Kevin Fong:

http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~iac/case_for_space.html

The Society has also produced a small badge, this is available from the BIS office in London. To get your badge for 1.00 (to cover postage and packing).

Wear the badge to show your support

http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/130/Node/108/l/en-gb

Welcome to the British human space flight campaign webpage

This summary by the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) helps explain the direction that national space policy needs to take to ensure that the UK joins with the rest of the industrialised world and takes part in manned space activities.

Advice is given regarding lobbying approaches to government, space policymakers and relevant organisations in the UK and a listing of relevant web links, studies and information sources is provided.

Background
Despite being the world's fourth largest economy, the UK currently has no manned space presence or interest in human space industry activities. Although the UK does manufacture some unmanned satellites (via companies such as EADS Astrium and SSTL), there is no link to manned research or its related space infrastructure.

Whilst the rest of Europe, the US, Russia, China, Japan and many emerging industrialised nations (for example Brazil, Malaysia and India) all explore space through human approaches, the UK has missed out and British scientists and industry are currently excluded from many important research fields - this is against the national good.

Following a 2006 review of the perceived scientific and educational value of manned space flight, The British Interplanetary Society (BIS) resolved that the UK would strongly benefit from a modest astronaut presence. This view follows the independent report of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) in October 2005, where Prof Frank Close and his team drew attention to the wide ranging scientific and cultural benefits of human space flight - they recommended that the UK committed about 120 million a year to human exploration of space, a figure in line with the UK's partners in the European Space Agency (ESA).

Other recent scientific studies have recognised potential human space benefits for the UK. In 2003, the independent Microgravity Review Panel recommended the UK join microgravity research on the International Space Station (ISS). In May 2004, the Cross Research Council Report suggested a reconsideration of UK government policy with respect to joining the manned element of the ESA's Aurora programme, one day leading to the human exploration of the Moon, Mars and the solar system.

Key UK space facts

a.. The UK government's investment in space is about one quarter of that of the rest of Europe.
b.. The UK has the second largest aerospace industry, but only 3 percent is space-related (Europe is 10-15 percent and the US is 25 percent).
c.. Space biomedicine and planetary science are strong research areas in the UK, but currently we cannot join the rest of Europe by carrying this into manned missions for the future.
d.. The only UK astronaut, Helen Sharman, flew into space in 1991 with no government backing - the mission was subsidised by Russia.
e.. NASA astronauts British born Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick were British born, but had to be American citizens to fly into space, Michael Foale has joint nationality.
f.. Drug research on the ISS could potentially lead to bone and muscle necrosis treatments for older people on Earth.
g.. UK science and technology education desperately needs boosting - physics graduate courses have dropped by 17 percent in ten years. Manned space flight is very inspirational for young people.
h.. A modest 50 million programme over five years could establish a small UK astronaut corps and fund two science-education missions to fly to the ISS.
Campaign action
The following can be done to help change current UK policy:

a.. Contact the British National Space Centre (BNSC) and ask that their current UK space policy review reverses the UK ban on manned space (see details of website/address below).
b.. Ask your MP to lobby on your behalf in Parliament and tell him of your firm support for manned space exploration in the UK.
c.. Speak to the media (press, radio and TV), saying how important a modest UK astronaut presence would be. Point out that the UK is hosting the prestigious International Astronautical Federation (IAF) congress in 2008, yet Britain has no astronaut.
d.. Tell friends of the BIS campaign and join the Society, to give support to the UK and international space activities.