British may reverse course, manned space program possible by 2010

William Atkins
Thursday, 13 September 2007 20:40

Science - Space

The United Kingdom’s British National Space Centre is recommending to the government that manned missions should begin. If approved, a manned British space program could be up and running by 2010.             

In the past, the British National Space Centre (BNSC), formed in 1985, concentrated on sending robotic spacecraft and satellites on missions to explore space. However, the Space Exploration Working Group (SEWG), an expert committee attached to the BNSC, has recommended that manned missions would help to provide important advances in scientific knowledge and commercial product development.

Frank Close, a professor at the University of Oxford (England) and chairman of SEWG, recently commented on his group’s proposal: "We recommend that the UK engages in preparatory human space flight activities.”  The SEWG, created in January 2007, is made up of space scientists, industrial leaders, government officials, and members of the UK public.

The group was organized in response to the joint publication of NASA and thirteen other space agencies “Global Exploration Strategy: The Framework for Coordination,” which talked about parallel goals found within such space programs of Russia, the United States, India, the European Space Agency, and China.

Close went on to say, "For the first time in history the world's space agencies are planning to work together on the human exploration of the Moon, Mars and perhaps asteroids, with accompanying robotic missions to prepare the way. This is not science fiction – it is the real thing. A high-profile, UK-branded presence in human space exploration would engage British society in the full excitement of space exploration and help to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers."

The document “Global Exploration Strategy: The Framework for Coordination” is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/may/HQ_07126_Exploration_Framework.html