Whenever one thinks about the 20th space race, it’s always the USA and the USSR that come to mind. However, Europe, Britain in particular, has made a significant contribution to technology development and keeps doing so to this day. Currently, the country is the second largest satellite manufacturer in the world after the USA and the largest one in Europe. Clearly, such achievements do not happen overnight – they are backed up by years of aerospace research, which, in Britain’s case, goes back to the founding of the British Interplanetary Society in 1933, way ahead of most countries.
Even though WWII interfered with cosmic tech development, the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany allowed to combine the best European developments under the Union Jack. Since the 1950s, the UK’s space exploration timeline looked like a lucky streak of successes – perhaps not as flashy as those of space superpowers, but significant enough to make a lasting contribution to science development. So, what has the UK done for space? Below, we combine information from various UK space news resources to recreate the country’s proudest achievements still shaping cosmic R&D.
UK timeline of space exploration since 1950
In 1952, the British Space Program was officially announced, marking the transition from an Interplanetary Society, which was essentially an enthusiasts’ group, to an official government programme to oversee cosmos-related matters. But what was the British space program in the 1950s? Primarily, it was aimed at rocket development, including for military purposes, but fortunately, it never came to that – the first nuclear rocket, Blue Streak, was developed in 1960 but never used. Its test version, Black Knight, got more attention in the UK space news as it was redesigned for civilian purposes and satellite launches – because back then, Great Britain already started working on its satellites.
In 1962, the first British-built satellite, Ariel-1, was launched by NASA, marking the start of a fruitful collaboration that lasted till the 1980s and launched five more joint satellite missions.
In 1971, a fully British launch took place as a UK-built Black Arrow rocket launched a UK-built satellite, Prospero, into orbit. The only thing that was not British was the launch site in Australia. This event marked an age of independence for Britain, after which its cosmic news timelines flashed with successes:
- In 1975, ESA as we know it now was formed, and Britain was one of the nine founding countries;
- In 1985, the government created another legal body to oversee cosmic matters, the British National Space Centre, which is the direct ancestor of the UKSA;
- By 1990, the country had already established itself as a satellite leader – the Eurostar satellite series was a new level of orbital communication, designed and built solely in Great Britain;
- In 1997, the first British astronaut, Helen Sharman, joined the Russian Mir Station for research;
- In 2010, the redesigned UK Apace Agency was created;
- In 2015, another astronaut, this time a gentleman, Tim Peake, joined the ISS crew;
- And starting with the 2020s, the UK has been actively commissioning its launch sites on local soil. New UK spaceports can support both vertical and horizontal launches, offering great flexibility and true launch independence.
What famous space missions have the UK been involved in?
Impressive as those achievements are, it’s teamwork that makes the dream work, as Americans are fond of saying. Over the years of cosmic exploration, the UK has contributed its share to a series of both European and American missions, i.e.,
- Mars Express, launched by ESA in 2003 to study the Red Planet, is the first mission of its kind to be attempted in Europe. The Beagle-2 lander, crucial for the mission, was developed in the UK.
- Rosetta Mission, launched in 2004, is actively studying celestial bodies in our solar system, including comets and asteroids.
- James Webb Space Telescope, one of the most advanced telescopes ever built, was designed with active UK participation. To date, it keeps offering unprecedented images of our galaxy, deepening our understanding of the Universe.
Now, when someone asks you – did the UK help in the space race? You can safely say – of course, it did! Most importantly, it helped itself because years of research and development have helped Britain become a major industry player and an undisputed leader in satellite technology. Besides, continuous investment into its own launch capabilities already gives the country much-needed launch independence and offers an opportunity to host launches from other countries, thus making profits and increasing investment in further research.
But what’s truly important is why it all matters. Today, cosmic research is not just about political muscle play. It is about improving life on Earth through a better understanding of the resources we have at hand and the best way to manage those effectively. And aerospace tech, especially Earth monitoring satellites, plays a huge part in that.
