Uk Space Capabilities

[powell11]

So I've just read on the UKSA website that the UKSA itself and members of the UK Space Industry are going to have a 6-month 'customer-driven' study as to whether or not the UK should have it's own funded spaceport, launch systems and spacecraft.

Personally, I think we should, without shadow of a doubt, support ourselves (and internationally) when it comes to space. Ultimately, I think it should lead to funding our own astronauts! If this is given the green light, then we're one step closer to fully-funded British astronauts on British spacecraft launched from a British spaceport!

What do you guys think?

[DaisyNonna]

Where is the money to come from?

[powell11]

It's all part of the study

[askyourgran]

Personally I would go for a few Cruise missiles and the necessary hardware to fire them. That would be money well spent.

[DaisyNonna]

Who is paying for the study?

[LazyGun]

I do not think that sentiment should govern such a programme. Any UK launch programme and vehicle would likely be small scale, for satellite placement etc, and there may be a business case for that, I suppose, and it would be interesting to see their observations.

We are already a major partner within the ESA programme, and have contributed toward the development of the Ariane and now Vega platforms, so I doubt we will be pulling away from that anytime soon.

http://www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency/news-and-events/2013/Mar/access-to-space-what-will-the-uk-need-in-the-future

[powell11]

Funded by the Industry and the Agency. When we get out of this European mess (it's inevitable) and be able to stably stand on our own 2 feet, then I see no reason as to why we could have independently funded space missions.

[excelsior-1]

Good morning powell

I would love to see a british space programme in operation .... The technology and expertise certainly exist, as does the enthusiasm however, as others have pointed out .. The problem is in the funding

[Teddio]

Such a venture could cost, at a conservative estimate, around 500 billion pounds. That's around £8000 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Other than prestige why would we want to do it ? Such a venture would almost certainly involve international collaboration anyway.

Has there been an entirely British aeronautical/aviation venture since the Vickers VC-10 airliner ? If a privately-funded British satellite needs to be launched then there are competitively-priced launch vehicles already out there.

Even the doomed Beagle mission to Mars got a piggy-back !

Our contribution to ESA is only a miserly 6%.

[powell11]

Not quite sure where you got 500 billion from because if you look on the UK Human Space Flight Campaign website, they have come up with a plan to create a small but viable astronaut corps of 3-4 scientist-astronauts, costing the UKSA £60 - £75 million pound (without our own spacecraft/port etc)

They also have lots of good points to back up their campaign.

http://www.bis-space.com/2011/03/13/1399/uk-human-space-flight-campaign

[LazyGun]

The long term solution for space exploration and exploitation is will not lie in derogating costs back to national agencies. The future lies with increasingly international co-operative ventures, or possibly private industry.