BBC correspondent Ellie Gibson interviews amateur rocketry enthusiasts at the recent Big EARS event in East Anglia.

• Tech Know: The Sky is not the Limit

(Source: Space SIG newsletter)

Astronomers of the Future is a new club set up by Linda and Duncan Lunan, for beginners who are keen to find out more about astronomy and space. At monthly meetings members will enjoy talks and activities, have their questions answered and discuss the latest news from space, and observing rights and visits will be arranged. There is also an opportunity for members to take an online 12 modules beginners course. The club magazine will include news and features by a variety of contributors as well as guides to what’s in ‘The Sky Above You’, by science writer and lecturer Duncan Lunan. Meetings will be held in Glasgow, the first Friday in every month from 7pm – 9pm

• Astronomers of the Future website

(Source: Space SIG newsletter)

Sensing – The 2nd Sensing meeting was held on 8th July. To date, over 80 technologies have been identified through independent working of team members. These will be redefined and then grouped based around a word template and summary spreadsheet. Following the meeting these tools were revised further along with the opportunities section of the roadmap which now includes other known bilateral opportunities in space science, exploration and EOS. A commercial missions section has also been added to the roadmap. The sensing group for the time being has also taken ownership of the instrumentation associated with science in exploration and robotics missions. It is proposed that the developed word template is used for collection of sensing inputs at the forthcoming workshops. The next meeting of the sensing group is planned for 18th August at which it is hoped an integrated summary of the technologies can be discussed.

Robotics and Exploration – The Robotics and Exploration sector group has now identified the set of capabilities in this field that the UK can demonstrate and should maintain. This now allows the group to start identifying technologies within the community that are appropriate to support and enhance the UK position in these areas. These technologies will be identified using summary sheets for each technology; these have been distributed within the working group and will then be used openly at the NSTS Roadmapping workshops to gather information.

Access to Space – The Access to Space roadmap group have agreed six key roadmaps for this area. There are five technology roadmaps relating to launchers, satellite platforms and orbital access and the other is related to space legislation. The sub teams and team leads for each roadmap have been agreed and we are aiming to complete the first draft of each roadmap by early August.

(Source: Space Florida)

MIAMI (July 21, 2010) – This morning Space Florida and UK Trade & Investment signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding that will facilitate beneficial commercial space opportunities between the State of Florida and the UK’s aerospace and commercial space industries. This is the first commercial MOU between Space Florida and a sovereign government and a further practical example of the close UK-US trade relationship.

The MOU between Space Florida—the organization designed to grow Florida’s aerospace industry—and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)—the British government division that helps UK-based companies suceed internationally and brings high-quality investment to the UK—seeks to advance Florida and the UK’s growing commercial space sectors by establishing a conduit to pursue business opportunities in both markets.

Specifically, Space Florida and UKTI will identify and share commercial and partnership opportunities of interest to Space Florida and UKTI constituencies, and make introductions or arrange networking opportunities with potential strategic partners and investors that might benefit from such collaboration, among other commitments.

“Strategic, international partnerships are critical to the viability and growth of future U.S. commercial space programs,” noted Space Florida President Frank DiBello. “Today’s event marks a significant step forward toward ensuring Florida’s numerous space assets – both physical and intellectual – are leveraged by the global space marketplace.”

Director-General, Trade & Investment USA, Sir Alan Collins said: “The commercial space industry is a major growth opportunity for the UK. Since 2009 the UK has been ramping up its space industry activities opening the European Space Agency’s R&D facility at Harwell, establishing the UK Space Agency and forming the Space Leadership Council. With a goal to grow Britain’s share of the world space market from 6% to 10% over the next 20 years, collaboration and partnerships such as this are crucial to the UK’s achieving its ambitions. For Florida’s space industry companies, the UK is the natural partner of choice with whom to explore R&D opporunities globally as it offers a springboard into the European markets and the world.”

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(Source: Associated Press)

Associated Press interviewed Stephen Attenborough of Virgin Galactic about the progress of recent SpaceShipTwo flight tests: "Scaled are now evaluating the data from this recent captive-carry flight before we know when the first SS2 independent glide flight will be but there's a reasonable possibility that we could see it happen in the Fall," Attenborough said.

Although both Virgin and Scaled Composites were pleased with progress, "no corners will be cut in order to achieve arbitrary deadlines.", he said.

AP also released a photo of SpaceShipTwo with its wings 'feathered' in the high-drag re-entry configuration.

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Virgin Galactic also featured in an article on NPR:-

• Six Spectacular Minutes That'll Cost You $200,000 -- NPR, All Things Considered

(Source: The Register)

The Register interviewed Reaction Engines representatives at their exhibit at the Farnborough International Airshow this week about their Skylon SSTO project. Highlights include:

• SABRE engine pre-cooler technology validation is in progress
• German space agency DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) will test the novel air- or oxygen-cooled combustion chamber.
• Technical director Richard Varvill expects that "the powers that be will ask us to build a complete test engine". Complete engine could be in tests within "three to four years".
• Merchant banks are showing interest in investment

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A Youtube version of the Skylon passenger & logistics module movie highlighted in an earlier report:

(Source: UK Space Agency)

The UK Space Agency has announced a one year pilot programme to design and launch a CubeSat – a miniature, cube-shaped satellite that will allow the UK to test new space technologies and carry out new space research ‘cheaply’ and quickly.

The pilot programme, named UKube 1, will use a spacecraft platform that is currently under development by the company Clyde Space Ltd and will involve a competition amongst companies and academic groups to come up with the most innovative ideas for payloads. The winning payloads will be launched on the satellite in mid 2011. Companies and academics who are interested in designing a payload can contact the UK Space Agency for more information.

The small size, low complexity and largely off-the-shelf nature of Cubesats make them both inexpensive and allow them to be launched on a rapid timescale, enabling a high number of launches, more science and more terrestrial applications.

The Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts, said, “Britain’s first CubeSat will bring major benefits to the UK space industry. Firms will now have a cheap and quick way to test their latest prototypes.

Dr David Williams, Chief executive (Acting) of the UK Space Agency, added, “A CubeSat programme will allow us to fast-track and test some of the UK’s new and cutting-edge space technology and perform unique science at a relatively low cost. These satellites may be smaller than your home computer, but, with the payloads that our skilled scientists will add to them, they are sure to make up in innovation what they lack in size.”

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(Source: UK Space Agency)

FARNBOROUGH: Weds 21st July The Minister of State for Universities and Science David Willetts has announced that the UK Space Agency and NASA have agreed a statement of intent for potential cooperation in civil space activities.

The statement, signed yesterday, at a meeting in London, by the Minister and the NASA Administrator, Charles F. Bolden Jr, confirms the mutual desire of the two agencies to identify new cooperative activities related to Earth and space science, life sciences, and space exploration, in addition to other areas of mutual interest.

Dr David Williams, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said, “The UK and the US have a long history of collaboration in space activities and we want to ensure that this relationship keeps going from strength to strength and continues to produce international, world class science and exploration.”

NASA Administrator, Charles F. Bolden Jr, added, "NASA has a long history of successful cooperation with the United Kingdom and looks forward to enhanced cooperation through the new UK Space Agency in a variety of areas of mutual interest."

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