You Couldn't Make It Up - British Rocketry

[St Landrew]

Starting work later tomorrow, so before I go to bed, I thought I'd have one last little search on a subject that interests me more recently, if only because it went on while I was a kid - The British Space Programme. During my little trip to the Science Museum last month, I saw the last British Black Arrow rocket that didn't get launched into space. It set my interest going again in the history of the British space programme. It's immediate predecessor, that is, the one from last Black Arrow was launched into space from Woomera, Australia, carrying the all-British satellite, Prospero. It was the last British venture into space, using all-British technology. The launcher, satellite, everything was British.

 

Here's the link, I've been looking at. It's a nice summary:http://www.isleofwighttouristguide.com/Articles/Article_59.asp

 

For those who have gone to the link and returned, you might have the same emotions as I. Bloody outrage, frustration of the wastage of expert people, technical knowledge, and sheer British effort. If you didn't know about it, you might also have amazement as an emotion. Yes, I've read all this before and in far more detail. But it never fails to f**k me off at the sheer lack of imagination of British politicians.

 

And Prospero was publicly checked on its polar track only a couple of months ago - still up there, and still faithfully working..!

[Saint in Paradise]

Since the 1940s Britain has had several excellent projects cancelled because of political ineptitude

and gross interference from our "friends" in the USA.( TSR 2 for just one )

Thank goodness they were "friendly" as enemies couldn't have done more damage.

The US even interfered with the Canadian company AVRO who had developed a fighter

aircraft far superior to anything the US had at the time.

The other day someone mentioned the "Lease Lend" deal which Britain finished paying for in 2000

I don't recall the US insisting that the rest of Europe paid back money etc supplied under the Marshall Plan

and yet Britain was the only real buffer between Germany and the US for quite a while.

I better end now in case the people in the US get annoyed with me

[St Landrew]

The Lend-Lease Agreement..? That was me too.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

The Lend-Lease Agreement..? That was me too.

 

Meh, it's about time you were sent back then!

 

Merry Christmas!

[SaintSparky]

Thanks for the link St Landrew; have seen a few TV programmes over the years on the short lived British space programme, sadly the "sheer lack of imagination of British politicians" has not changed from then through to now.

[OldNick]

I thought it said British Rockery. Now we'd be leaders in making one of those