Hero’s Island (1962)

History of British Space Satellites

In the Autumn of 1945 an RAF electronics officer and member of the British Interplanetary Society, Arthur C. Clarke, wrote a short article in Wireless World that described the use of manned satellites in 24-hour orbits high above the world’s land masses to distribute television programs. His article apparently had little lasting effect in spite of Clarke’s repeating the story in his 1951/52 The Exploration of Space. Clarke’s concept, outlined clearly (incidentally, it was unpatented) in the October 1945 edition of the British publication Wireless World and showed how geostationary satellites would work. Twenty years later the idea was tested by the Soviet Union. The first British Satellitte Ariel 1 was sent into space in 1962 from the USA.

Time Line

1945

Oct 1945 – Clarke’s concept, outlined clearly (incidentally, it was unpatented) in the October 1945 edition of the British publication Wireless World, showed how geostationary satellites would work. Twenty years later the idea was tested by the Soviet Union and led to the …Clarke’s concept, outlined clearly (incidentally, it was unpatented) in the October 1945 edition of the British publication Wireless World, showed how geostationary satellites would work. Twenty years later the idea was tested by the Soviet Union and led to the more than one thousand geostationary satellites that now orbit our planet. A phone call, routed through satellite service, reaches its “uplink” point and is directed via microwave toward one of the geostationary.

1957

Oct 7, 1957 – One British writer called the satellite a potential spy-in-thesky. Fears Satellite May BeLie a Spy in the Sky. Army Men Dispute … past chairman of the British society said: . “This launching is a tremendous thing. It is one of the greatest scientific ad. vances in world history.

1958

Aug 11, 1958 – A combined British and Australian operation to launch a satellite into space will be made soon at the Warmora Rocket Ranze in Central Australia … The British government official said the Royal Society in London is now examin ing the probable value of a UK satellite program to …

1959

Jun 20, 1959 – Britain named today an eightman team of space experts to leave here soon for talks in Washington about putting British scientific instruments into orbit in an American earth satellite. The group, which will arrive in time to begin talks on June 25.

1960

Dec 16, 1960 – WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (AP)-The first British space i satellite will be launched ” in about one year” from a United States site and will be powered by an American Scout rocket, it was announced today.

1961

Dec 7, 1961 – Britain plans ,to fire its first space satellite around ,the earth next spring aboard a United States Delta rocket,’the House of Lords was told tonight. Viscount Hailsham, Minister for Science, told the House “it is flattering to be told the Americans regard the payload of the first …

1962

Feb 1962 – A series of six British satellites launched by NASA. The first four were devoted to studying the ionosphere, the remaining two to X-ray astronomy and cosmic-ray studies. Ariel 1 was the first international satellite. It was named in February 1962 for the …A series of six British satellites launched by NASA. The first four were devoted to studying the ionosphere, the remaining two to X-ray astronomy and cosmic-ray studies. Ariel 1 was the first international satellite. It was named in February 1962 for the spirit of the air who was released by Prospero in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. The name “Ariel” – a traditional one in British aeronautics – was chosen by the UK Ministry of Science and endorsed by NASA.

Mar 11, 1962 – WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI)-The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said today it would join with the British Ministry of Science this spring to launch the first international satellite from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Britain is supplying the equipment for experiments to be …

Mar 12, 1962 – CAPE CANAVERAL FlaAPNext assignment for ThorDelta America’s proven and reliable space booster is to hoist Britain’s first scientific satellite into orbit next month. The British payload UK1 for United Kingdom will probe the ionosphere a series of electrically charged layers in the …

Jun 1, 1962 – Jun 1962 Orbiting of First British SatelliteRanger IV hits Far Side of Moon American and Soviet Space Developments …. alaser oroptical masersee below was beamed on the moon and reflected back to earth–the first time in history that man had illuminated the surface of another celestial … .

Aug 3, 1962 – 2 (Reuters) Ariel, Britain’s first earth satellite, has produced interesting and valuable information about the structure of the ionosphere and the higher atmosphere, Freeth, Parlia- ,mentary Secretary for Science, ;said today. The satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla,, …

1962

Sep 2, 1962 – It was somewhat ironic that the Briotish Satellite Ariel should have been one of those knocked out. For it was from Britain that had come the strongest advance pro tests against the high altitude test on primarily scientific grounds — as contrasted with those from Communist sources and …

1963

Jun 7, 1963 – 3, the first all-british satellite, is to be built by the British Aircraft Corporation’s guided weapons division at Stevenage, Herts. will be launched in about four years … 3 will be the third in a series of joint british-american scientific research satellites. The first two in the …

1964

Jan 15, 1964 – The space agency has already agreed to launch two British satellites, including one earlv this year, and a French satellite in 1965. i Both the British and French satellites will make various measurements of the ionosphere, the electrically charged layer in the upper atmosphere. …

1965

Nov 27, 1965 – It made France the third nation to launch a satellite with its own rocket. US rockets were used to launch Italian, Canadian and British satellites. The successful orbiting seemed certain to boost President Charles de Gaulle’s stock in the Dec. 5 when he will be a candidate to succeed …

1966

Dec 29, 1966 – UK Satellite LONDON reutersThe British Government intends to proceed with plans to launch an allbritish satellite in years time The Daily Mail … says the satellite weighing up to 200 pounds would be put into orbit from the Australia rocket range by a new British rocket Black Arrow It …

1967

May 5, 1967 – UK-3 was launched from the Western Test Range in California by (NASA) On Friday, 5th May, 1967. Now that it is in orbit the satellite is known as Ariel III.

1969

Nov 21, 1969 – CAPE KENNEDY, Fla. The— first British military communications satellite is to rocket into space today to link defense units in bases as far apart as England and Singapore. Perched atop a US Delta rocket, the 535-pound payload called skynet is to. into an egg-shaped orbit with a high …

1971

Oct 28, 1971 – On 28 October 1971, the Prospero satellite was blasted into orbit by a Black Arrow launch vehicle. It was the only time a British satellite has been launched on a British rocket. Future legacy Although many were saddened by the cancellation of Black Arrow …On 28 October 1971, the Prospero satellite was blasted into orbit by a Black Arrow launch vehicle. It was the only time a British satellite has been launched on a British rocket. Future legacy Although many were saddened by the cancellation of Black Arrow, the legacy of the UK’s space pioneers lives on. The technology of the rocket itself was reused in the European rocket programme – now flying as the Ariane series of launchers.

1974

Jan 18, 1974 – satellite Skynet 2 soared into space Friday night, the first space launch in 1974 from Cape Canaveral and the 100th firing of a Delta, the rocket workhorse of the space . the 960 pound satellite on the first part of its journey to a stationary orbit over the Indian Ocean, …

• 1978

Jun 12, 1978 – … … a group of British engineers and physicists has just published a remarkable scientific document that is certain to go down in history … The same British company which has won business worth many millions of dollars for giantspace dish satellite terminals has come in at the other …

1981

Oct 1, 1981 – This commemorative push button telephone in black & silver was made to mark the inauguration of British telecom on 1 October 1981. CONNECTED EARTH: GOONHILLY SATELLITE EARTH STATION.

1982

May 19, 1982 – WASHINGTON The Soviet Union has launched a nuclear-powered radar satellite into low orbit over the South Atlantic that could aid Argentina in spying on British warships near the Falklands Islands, government sources say. The United States has nothing like the satellite, identified as …

1984

Aug 17, 1984 – satellites, fired into orbit with an American pay load, await a radio signal that will boost them to a higher orbit where the German craft … wind The first release is planned in September British satellites are to ob serve from well outside the magnetic fields, …

1985

Jul 8, 1985 – The British are coming final ly They may be a few decades behind the Americans but that doesnt matter a bit really ac cording to a team of properly enthusiastic English astronauts who were in Huntington Beach on Friday to inspect McDonnell Douglas satellite launch equip ment …

1986

Jul 18, 1986 – Charlotte Observer, The : Complete full-text content of local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries, and people in the community. Paid advertisements are excluded.

1987

Jul 16, 1987 – The order, from British Satellite Broadcasting Ltd., a London-based consortium, is believed to be the first firm agreement to launch commer cial …

1989

Aug 28, 1989 – A privately owned rocket fired a payload into orbit yesterday for the first time in the history of the space age. The 11-story Delta rocket, … Hughes was hired by British Satellite Broadcasting to build two such satellites and have them launched into space under a $300 million contract.

1990

Jan 1, 1990 – LEAD: A Titan 3 rocket carrying British and Japanese communications satellites roared into space tonight after nine postponements. … About an hour after liftoff, the British satellite was released, officials said. The other satellite was to be released later.

1995

Dec 9, 1995 – AG Rogers says that the only British satellite was launched by a Black Arrow in 1971Letters 4 November That is incorrect The first allBritish satellite was UK3 renamed Ariel 3 when in orbit launched by a NASA Scout rocket in May 1967.

1997

Jun 19, 1997 – The deal with Primestar sees Murdoch selling ASkyB to the enemy, the cable companies — the very same companies whose dominance of the American pay television market he originally intended to challenge with a US version of his successful British satellite business, BSkyB. …

1998

Oct 7, 1998 – Smaller lightweight satellites have been widely used in communications monitoring environmental changes and natural disasters and in scientific experiments in space The Tsinghua1 is 1.2 metres high and weighs 75 kg It will be the first of seven satellites forming a SinoBritish Treaty.

1999

Apr 21, 1999 – Nehoda said that the Dnipro carried a British scientific satellite (?WoSAT-12) weighing 320 kg. He noted that the use of modernized SS-18 missiles, … in December this year the Dnipro will launch into orbit a Ukranian microsatellite.

2001

Nov 9, 2001 – As Nigeria warms up to join the league of space explorers next year, Minister of Science and Technology Prof Turner T. Isoun yesterday in Abuja commissioned the multi-million-naira annexe expected to house its earth station for its own satellite. The low earth orbit micro-satellite is built by Britain.

Feb 27, 2002 – Britain’s armed forces are to be provided with a new satellite communications system under a private finance initiative programme worth about £2bn and creating or sustaining up to 1500 jobs across Britain, the Ministry of Defence announced yesterday. The British consortium Paradigm was …

2003

Sep 26, 2003 – KUN0078 4 GEN 0289 KUWAIT /KUNA-JRQ6 SCI-BRITISH-SATELLITES Three British-Built satellites for disasters monitoring to be launched tomorrow LONDON, Sep 26 (KUNA ) — A rocket is due to launch tomorrow, carrying three British-built ” International Rescue” satellites.

2005

Jun 2, 2005 – LONDON — The satellite operator Inmarsat announced plans on Wednesday to raise $690 million in an initial public offering here this month. Inmarsat said it would sell 164.5 million shares at 215 pence to 245 pence each, giving the company a total market value of £1.1 billion, ..

2006

Jan 18, 2006 – GUILDFORD, ENGLAND–(CCNMatthews – Jan. 18, 2006) – The primary objective of the GIOVE-A satellite, launched on the 28th December 2005 was to secure frequencies with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) without which the operation of Europe’s new satellite navigation system …

2007

Mar 12, 2007 – The British military’s communications satellite has blasted off into space after a last-minute glitch delayed its launch by 24 hours. The Ariane rocket carryingSkynet 5A, part of a £3.6 billion British armed forces programme, had been set to take off from the European spaceport at …

2008

Dec 18, 2008 – BRUSSELS, Dec 18 (Reuters) – European aircraft manufacturer EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) gained clearance from European Union antitrust regulators on Thursday to buy British satellite maker Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

2009

Feb 3, 2009 – By Jonathan Amos. Two British companies are involved in discussions about developing a low-cost rocket capable of putting small satellites in orbit. The idea is being promoted by SSTL, a firm in Guildford, Surrey, best known for its Earth observation spacecraft, in conjunction with …

Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ http://www.fabprints.com

My other website is called Directory of British Icons: http://fabprints.webs.com

To visit the list and links to my other Blogg articles: http://bloggs.resourcez.com

The Chinese call England “The Island of Hero’s” which I think sums up what we English are all about.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author

Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ http://www.fabprints.com

My other website is called Directory of British Icons: http://fabprints.webs.com

To visit the list and links to my other Blogg articles: http://bloggs.resourcez.com

The Chinese call England “The Island of Hero’s” which I think sums up what we English are all about.

Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.

John Glenn & President John F. Kennedy