By the time the last Skylark rocket was launched in 2005,
nearly 450 launches had been carried out in the nearly 50 year lifetime of the
programme. The Skylark is a largely unsung hero of the UK space programme –
in fact its use went far beyond the UK as it was used also by NASA, ESRO and
German and Swedish space organisations.
It was launched from sites in Europe, Australia and South America. It was used
for research, amongst others, in fields such as atmospheric studies, astronomy
and microgravity, as well as for technology proving.
Furthermore, it contributed to the training of a whole generation of space scientists
and engineers.
Matthew Godwin has skilfully and authoritatively charted the first 15 years
of the development of the Skylark programme from its genesis deep in the Cold
War era, through the machinations of Government and the Civil
Service through to its extensive use by the European Space Research Organisation.
He has done a great service not only to the specialists whose careers have been
involved with the Skylark programme but anyone with a professional or even just
passing interest in space research, science and politics.
L’auteur :
Matthew Godwin is currently Research Associate in the Department of Economics,
Management School, Lancaster University.
This book is based on his doctoral thes is which formed a component part of
the extended European Space Agency History Project.
The thesis was supervised as part of a collaborative arrangement between the
Centre for Contemporary British History at the Institute of Historical Research,
University of London, and the Science Museum, London.
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