Andrew Yee
April 29th 05, 06:47 PM
Press and Publications Office
University of Leicester
Leicester, U.K.
CONTACTS
Alistair Scott
Public Relations, EADS Astrium (Formerly British Aerospace)
Tel: +44(0)1438773698
Dave Haslam
Media relations, Moon Mars Working Group
E-mail:
Hugh Whitfield
SRS Limited
Sounding Rocket Services
Unit 1 Parnall Road
Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JQ
Tel: +44 117 965 1818, Fax: +44 117 965 1822
Ather Mirza, University of Leicester
+44 (0) 116 252 3335
28/04/2005
Skylark Gets Set for Final Launch
University of Leicester played key role in historic space programme
Skylark, one of the world's longest running space programmes, will
lift-off for the final time in a launch window starting on Saturday,
April 30th. The launch of the 441st Skylark sounding rocket marks the end
of 50 years of outstanding scientific research that has included
investigations into atmospheric conditions, X-ray astronomy, land use and
the effects of microgravity.
The Skylark sounding rocket has been a leading British success story
since its design in the mid 1950s. The first Skylark was launched from
Woomera, Australia, during the International Geophysical Year of 1957.
The final Skylark mission, MASER 10, carries a suite of experiments to
study the effects of microgravity, including a biological investigation
of the protein, actin, and a study of interfacial turbulence in
evaporating liquids. MASER 10 will be launched from the Esrange Site,
near Kiruna in northern Sweden.
Hugh Whitfield, of Sounding Rocket Services Ltd, which has operated the
Skylark programme since 1999, says, "Skylark is one of the most
successful rocket programmes of all time, but this British achievement is
largely unknown. We should be immensely proud of the contribution to
science that Skylark has made and it is a testament to the skill of
British engineers that the programme has lasted nearly half a century."
Skylark rockets have been launched from Wales, Argentina, Australia,
Brazil, Norway, Sardinia, Spain and Sweden. Early experiments ranged from
atmospheric studies to X-ray astronomy and research into the ionospheric
interactions that cause aurorae. The rockets were popular with young
scientific researchers, as it was possible for a PhD student to design a
space experiment, launch it on a Skylark vehicle and write up the results
in just three years. In recent years research has focused on microgravity
experiments led by the German space agency, DLR, and testing equipment
for Spacelab and the International Space Station.
The Skylark 7 that will be used for the final launch is a two-stage
rocket that can carry a payload weighing 380 kilograms to an altitude of
230 kilometres. The Skylark 7 is powered by a "Goldfinch" boost stage and
a "Raven XI" main stage motor.
Skylark was developed by the Royal Aeronautical Establishment,
Farnborough, in conjunction with the Rocket Propulsion Establishment,
Westcott. The rocket motors, which were filled with a plastic propellant,
were produced by Royal Ordnance Bridgewater and Westcott. Initially
funded by the UK government, Skylark has been operated on a commercial
basis since 1966, first by British Aerospace, then Matra Marconi Space,
and finally Sounding Rocket Services Ltd. Although production of motors
ended in November 1994, a stockpile has meant that Skylarks have
continued to be launched at least once per year ever since.
Sounding Rocket Services now plan to become the European agent for the
American built Oriole range of rockets and a supplier of hardware to the
German/Brazlian VSB 30 vehicle.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The launch window for MASER 10 opens on April 30, 2005 at 05:00 GMT
(07:00 LT) until 13:00 GMT and ends on May 15, 2005 at 05:00 GMT until
13:00 GMT.
FURTHER INFORMATION
* Sounding Rocket Services
http://www.srs-limited.com/
* Campaign information for MASER 10
http://www.ssc.se/default.asp?groupid=20041018114447733&pageid=20041221111
74931
The Skylark Research Rocket and Space Science at Leicester
Emeritus Professor Ken Pounds CBE reflects on his, and Leicester's,
involvement with Skylark
* Professor Ken Pounds, Department of Physics and AstronomyThe first
Skylark sub-orbital rocket was launched successfully at Woomera in
S.Australia in February 1957, less than 2 years after its development was
approved by the UK Treasury. After 3 test flights the first Skylark
carrying a scientific payload flew on 13 November 1957. I was then a
research student at UCL and played a minor role in building one of the
experiments, which involved ejecting grenades from the rocket as it rose
through the atmosphere, each flash and sound being picked up on the
ground, yielding information on the density and temperature profile, and
wind speed at high altitudes.
The first Leicester instrument to fly (a collaboration with UCL) was on 8
July 1959, on SL14, obtaining the first direct measurement of the Sun's
X-ray spectrum. Encouraged by that early success a new group was
established at Leicester in 1960, with the prime aim of studying the
Sun's X-ray emission and it's effects on the Earth's atmosphere. The
evolving Skylark rocket gave us a first class platform for those studies,
especially when the early spin-stabilised vehicle was replaced with
versions capable of locking onto the Sun and then night-time stars.
Leicester scientists were active in each phase, providing the payload
(with the Culham Laboratory) for the first 3 sun-pointing launches (SL
301,302,303) in 1964, and for the first successful star-pointing vehicle
(SL 1011) in April 1973.
Our science programme had by then been extended from solar studies to the
exciting new discipline of X-ray astronomy, with Skylark providing us
with the opportunity to explore the Southern Sky from Woomera, while US
groups used their Aerobee vehicle from the White Sands Missile Range in
New Mexico to follow up the historic discovery of Scorpius X-1 in June
1962. In such a new field of research every rocket flight had exciting
potential for new discoveries, while the short timescale to build and fly
each payload made the Skylark programme well-suited to the training of
new graduate students.
The great majority of UK Skylark launches were from Woomera, which saw a
grand total of 193 launches to the end of the national programme in 1978.
14 other UK Skylark launches took place during the 1970s from Andoya and
El Areonosillo, while 56 Skylark were also funded by the emerging
European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) between 1965-1972, with
Leicester scientists taking part in several launches from Sardinia.
With the availability of dedicated satellites from the late 1960s,
Skylark became less and less cost-effective, and UK national funding was
ended in 1978. Looking back, this outstanding research rocket can be seen
to have played a major part in establishing space science in the UK (and
through ESRO, across Europe).
University of Leicester
Leicester, U.K.
CONTACTS
Alistair Scott
Public Relations, EADS Astrium (Formerly British Aerospace)
Tel: +44(0)1438773698
Dave Haslam
Media relations, Moon Mars Working Group
E-mail:
Hugh Whitfield
SRS Limited
Sounding Rocket Services
Unit 1 Parnall Road
Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JQ
Tel: +44 117 965 1818, Fax: +44 117 965 1822
Ather Mirza, University of Leicester
+44 (0) 116 252 3335
28/04/2005
Skylark Gets Set for Final Launch
University of Leicester played key role in historic space programme
Skylark, one of the world's longest running space programmes, will
lift-off for the final time in a launch window starting on Saturday,
April 30th. The launch of the 441st Skylark sounding rocket marks the end
of 50 years of outstanding scientific research that has included
investigations into atmospheric conditions, X-ray astronomy, land use and
the effects of microgravity.
The Skylark sounding rocket has been a leading British success story
since its design in the mid 1950s. The first Skylark was launched from
Woomera, Australia, during the International Geophysical Year of 1957.
The final Skylark mission, MASER 10, carries a suite of experiments to
study the effects of microgravity, including a biological investigation
of the protein, actin, and a study of interfacial turbulence in
evaporating liquids. MASER 10 will be launched from the Esrange Site,
near Kiruna in northern Sweden.
Hugh Whitfield, of Sounding Rocket Services Ltd, which has operated the
Skylark programme since 1999, says, "Skylark is one of the most
successful rocket programmes of all time, but this British achievement is
largely unknown. We should be immensely proud of the contribution to
science that Skylark has made and it is a testament to the skill of
British engineers that the programme has lasted nearly half a century."
Skylark rockets have been launched from Wales, Argentina, Australia,
Brazil, Norway, Sardinia, Spain and Sweden. Early experiments ranged from
atmospheric studies to X-ray astronomy and research into the ionospheric
interactions that cause aurorae. The rockets were popular with young
scientific researchers, as it was possible for a PhD student to design a
space experiment, launch it on a Skylark vehicle and write up the results
in just three years. In recent years research has focused on microgravity
experiments led by the German space agency, DLR, and testing equipment
for Spacelab and the International Space Station.
The Skylark 7 that will be used for the final launch is a two-stage
rocket that can carry a payload weighing 380 kilograms to an altitude of
230 kilometres. The Skylark 7 is powered by a "Goldfinch" boost stage and
a "Raven XI" main stage motor.
Skylark was developed by the Royal Aeronautical Establishment,
Farnborough, in conjunction with the Rocket Propulsion Establishment,
Westcott. The rocket motors, which were filled with a plastic propellant,
were produced by Royal Ordnance Bridgewater and Westcott. Initially
funded by the UK government, Skylark has been operated on a commercial
basis since 1966, first by British Aerospace, then Matra Marconi Space,
and finally Sounding Rocket Services Ltd. Although production of motors
ended in November 1994, a stockpile has meant that Skylarks have
continued to be launched at least once per year ever since.
Sounding Rocket Services now plan to become the European agent for the
American built Oriole range of rockets and a supplier of hardware to the
German/Brazlian VSB 30 vehicle.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The launch window for MASER 10 opens on April 30, 2005 at 05:00 GMT
(07:00 LT) until 13:00 GMT and ends on May 15, 2005 at 05:00 GMT until
13:00 GMT.
FURTHER INFORMATION
* Sounding Rocket Services
http://www.srs-limited.com/
* Campaign information for MASER 10
http://www.ssc.se/default.asp?groupid=20041018114447733&pageid=20041221111
74931
The Skylark Research Rocket and Space Science at Leicester
Emeritus Professor Ken Pounds CBE reflects on his, and Leicester's,
involvement with Skylark
* Professor Ken Pounds, Department of Physics and AstronomyThe first
Skylark sub-orbital rocket was launched successfully at Woomera in
S.Australia in February 1957, less than 2 years after its development was
approved by the UK Treasury. After 3 test flights the first Skylark
carrying a scientific payload flew on 13 November 1957. I was then a
research student at UCL and played a minor role in building one of the
experiments, which involved ejecting grenades from the rocket as it rose
through the atmosphere, each flash and sound being picked up on the
ground, yielding information on the density and temperature profile, and
wind speed at high altitudes.
The first Leicester instrument to fly (a collaboration with UCL) was on 8
July 1959, on SL14, obtaining the first direct measurement of the Sun's
X-ray spectrum. Encouraged by that early success a new group was
established at Leicester in 1960, with the prime aim of studying the
Sun's X-ray emission and it's effects on the Earth's atmosphere. The
evolving Skylark rocket gave us a first class platform for those studies,
especially when the early spin-stabilised vehicle was replaced with
versions capable of locking onto the Sun and then night-time stars.
Leicester scientists were active in each phase, providing the payload
(with the Culham Laboratory) for the first 3 sun-pointing launches (SL
301,302,303) in 1964, and for the first successful star-pointing vehicle
(SL 1011) in April 1973.
Our science programme had by then been extended from solar studies to the
exciting new discipline of X-ray astronomy, with Skylark providing us
with the opportunity to explore the Southern Sky from Woomera, while US
groups used their Aerobee vehicle from the White Sands Missile Range in
New Mexico to follow up the historic discovery of Scorpius X-1 in June
1962. In such a new field of research every rocket flight had exciting
potential for new discoveries, while the short timescale to build and fly
each payload made the Skylark programme well-suited to the training of
new graduate students.
The great majority of UK Skylark launches were from Woomera, which saw a
grand total of 193 launches to the end of the national programme in 1978.
14 other UK Skylark launches took place during the 1970s from Andoya and
El Areonosillo, while 56 Skylark were also funded by the emerging
European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) between 1965-1972, with
Leicester scientists taking part in several launches from Sardinia.
With the availability of dedicated satellites from the late 1960s,
Skylark became less and less cost-effective, and UK national funding was
ended in 1978. Looking back, this outstanding research rocket can be seen
to have played a major part in establishing space science in the UK (and
through ESRO, across Europe).