British National Space Centre
Encyclopedia
The British National Space Centre (BNSC) was a British
government body that coordinated civil space activities for the UK. It was replaced on 1 April 2010 by the UK Space Agency
.
and research councils
. The civil portion of the British space programme
focused on space science
, Earth observation, satellite telecommunications, and global navigation (for example GPS and Galileo
). The latest version of the UK civil space strategy which defined the goals of BNSC was published in February 2008. Notably the BNSC had a policy against human spaceflight, and did not contribute to the International Space Station
.
) was the 'host' department and provided the central policy staff including the Director General. The last DG, Dr. David Williams, was the first to have been externally appointed. Much of Britain's yearly civil space budget of £268 million was contributed by the Department of Trade and Industry (until the DTI was broken up in 2007) or controlled by the partnership rather than the BNSC, and about three-quarters of that budget flows directly to the European Space Agency
. BNSC staff represented the UK at the various programme boards of ESA and also its governing Council. In 2004, the budget for BNSC headquarters was approximately £500,000 (US$1 million).
From January 2009, the BNSC was headquartered in Swindon
, Wiltshire, in the same building as the Science and Technology Facilities Council
(Research Councils) and the Technology Strategy Board
. BNSC fell under the authority of the Minister for Science and Innovation, Paul Drayson.
, contributing 17.4%, to its Science Programme and to its robotic exploration initiative the Aurora Programme
. Investments were also made in the ESA telecommunications programme 'ARTES' in order to develop payload technology used, for example, in the satellites of Inmarsat
, the UK based mobile satellite operator. The BNSC partnership co-funded a private sector project led by Avanti Communications http://www.avanti-communications.com/avanti_homepage.htm to build a satellite called HYLAS to provide broadband communications to rural and remote users.
Current projects in the field of space science include LISA Pathfinder
, for which UK industry is the prime contractor and UK universities are building key payload elements; the astrometry Gaia mission, for which UK industry is supplying the detectors, avionics, software and data processing electronics; and the James Webb Space Telescope
, for which a UK consortium led by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre
is building the European part of the Mid Infra Red Instrument (MIRI)http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/instruments/miri/. The UK has contributed the SPIRE instrument for the Herschel Space Observatory
and detector and cooling system technology for the Planck cosmic microwave background mission. In the field of Earth observation, projects include the ESA ADM-Aeolus
wind profiling mission, for which UK industry is the prime contractor and Cryosat 2 which is led by UK scientist Professor Duncan Wingham of University College, London. Recent BNSC activities include the Mosaic small satellite programme, which led to the launch of the TopSat
high resolution EO mission and also the Disaster Monitoring Constellation
.
in Oxfordshire
. The ESA facility at Harwell was opened officially on 22 July 2009. The name of the ESA centre is the European Robotics and Climate Change Centre.
In February 2009, BNSC, ESA and Reaction Engines Limited
announced a public-private partnership
funding scheme to demonstrate key technologies of the SABRE
engine for the proposed Reaction Engines Skylon spaceplane.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government body that coordinated civil space activities for the UK. It was replaced on 1 April 2010 by the UK Space Agency
UK Space Agency
The UK Space Agency is a United Kingdom government agency responsible for its civil space programme. It was established on 1 April 2010 to replace the British National Space Centre and took over responsibility for government policy and key budgets for space and represents the UK in all negotiations...
.
Structure
BNSC operated as a voluntary partnership of ten British government departments and agenciesDepartments of the United Kingdom Government
Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Cabinet ministers who are usually called secretaries of state when they are in charge of Government departments called ministerial departments...
and research councils
Research Council
The UK Research Councils, of which there are currently seven, are publicly-funded agencies responsible for co-ordinating and funding particular areas of research, including the arts, humanities, all areas of science and engineering...
. The civil portion of the British space programme
British space programme
The British space programme is a plan by the UK government and other interested bodies to promote British participation in the international market for satellite launches, satellite construction and other space endeavours. Significantly, however, it has never been government policy to create a...
focused on space science
Space science
The term space science may mean:* The study of issues specifically related to space travel and space exploration, including space medicine.* Science performed in outer space ....
, Earth observation, satellite telecommunications, and global navigation (for example GPS and Galileo
Galileo positioning system
Galileo is a global navigation satellite system currently being built by the European Union and European Space Agency . The €20 billion project is named after the famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei...
). The latest version of the UK civil space strategy which defined the goals of BNSC was published in February 2008. Notably the BNSC had a policy against human spaceflight, and did not contribute to the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
.
Staffing arrangements
Rather than being a full space agency as maintained in some other countries, BNSC HQ comprised around thirty civil servants on rotation from the partners. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BISBIS
Bis is a prefix or suffix designating the second instance of a thing, thus preceding ter.Bis can also refer to:* Bis , a Scottish pop band* Bis , a high-teens' magazine published by Kobunsha of Japan...
) was the 'host' department and provided the central policy staff including the Director General. The last DG, Dr. David Williams, was the first to have been externally appointed. Much of Britain's yearly civil space budget of £268 million was contributed by the Department of Trade and Industry (until the DTI was broken up in 2007) or controlled by the partnership rather than the BNSC, and about three-quarters of that budget flows directly to the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
. BNSC staff represented the UK at the various programme boards of ESA and also its governing Council. In 2004, the budget for BNSC headquarters was approximately £500,000 (US$1 million).
From January 2009, the BNSC was headquartered in Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, Wiltshire, in the same building as the Science and Technology Facilities Council
Science and Technology Facilities Council
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a UK government body that carries out civil research in science and engineering, and funds UK research in areas including particle physics, nuclear physics, space science and astronomy .-History:It was formed in April 2007 as a merger of the Particle...
(Research Councils) and the Technology Strategy Board
Technology Strategy Board
The Technology Strategy Board is a UK public body operating at arm's length from the Government reporting to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills .- History :...
. BNSC fell under the authority of the Minister for Science and Innovation, Paul Drayson.
ESA
The BNSC was the third largest financial contributor to the General Budget of the European Space AgencyEuropean Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
, contributing 17.4%, to its Science Programme and to its robotic exploration initiative the Aurora Programme
Aurora Programme
The Aurora programme is a human spaceflight programme of the European Space Agency established in 2001 with the primary objectives of creating, and then implementing, a European long-term plan for exploration of the Solar System using robotic spacecraft and human spaceflight...
. Investments were also made in the ESA telecommunications programme 'ARTES' in order to develop payload technology used, for example, in the satellites of Inmarsat
Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc is a British satellite telecommunications company, offering global, mobile services. It provides telephony and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate to ground stations through eleven geostationary telecommunications satellites...
, the UK based mobile satellite operator. The BNSC partnership co-funded a private sector project led by Avanti Communications http://www.avanti-communications.com/avanti_homepage.htm to build a satellite called HYLAS to provide broadband communications to rural and remote users.
Current projects in the field of space science include LISA Pathfinder
LISA Pathfinder
LISA Pathfinder is the revised name for SMART-2, a NASA/ESA space probe to be launched in June 2013. SMART stands for Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology. The aim of the LISA Pathfinder is to test technologies needed for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, a joint NASA/ESA...
, for which UK industry is the prime contractor and UK universities are building key payload elements; the astrometry Gaia mission, for which UK industry is supplying the detectors, avionics, software and data processing electronics; and the James Webb Space Telescope
James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope , previously known as Next Generation Space Telescope , is a planned next-generation space telescope, optimized for observations in the infrared. The main technical features are a large and very cold 6.5 meter diameter mirror, an observing position far from Earth,...
, for which a UK consortium led by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre
UK Astronomy Technology Centre
The UK Astronomy Technology Centre is based at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council....
is building the European part of the Mid Infra Red Instrument (MIRI)http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/instruments/miri/. The UK has contributed the SPIRE instrument for the Herschel Space Observatory
Herschel Space Observatory
The Herschel Space Observatory is a European Space Agency space observatory sensitive to the far infrared and submillimetre wavebands. It is the largest space telescope ever launched, carrying a single mirror of in diameter....
and detector and cooling system technology for the Planck cosmic microwave background mission. In the field of Earth observation, projects include the ESA ADM-Aeolus
ADM-Aeolus
ADM-Aeolus, or, in full, Atmospheric Dynamics Mission Aeolus, is an ESA satellite that is due for launch in 2013.ADM-Aeolus will be the first equipment capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation and will provide much-needed information to improve weather forecasting.The Aeolus...
wind profiling mission, for which UK industry is the prime contractor and Cryosat 2 which is led by UK scientist Professor Duncan Wingham of University College, London. Recent BNSC activities include the Mosaic small satellite programme, which led to the launch of the TopSat
TopSat
TopSat is an Earth observation satellite that was launched on October 27, 2005 alongside the Beijing-1 Disaster Monitoring Constellation satellite by a Cosmos rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. TopSat carries out imaging with a ground resolution of 2.5m...
high resolution EO mission and also the Disaster Monitoring Constellation
Disaster Monitoring Constellation
The Disaster Monitoring Constellation consists of a number of remote sensing satellites constructed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and operated for the Algerian, Nigerian, Turkish, British and Chinese governments by DMC International Imaging...
.
Harwell
In November 2008, BNSC announced new contributions to ESA and an agreement in principle to establish an ESA centre at the Harwell Science and Innovation CampusHarwell Science and Innovation Campus
The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is a science and technology campus near the villages of Harwell and Chilton, Oxfordshire, England. The site is about south of Oxford...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The ESA facility at Harwell was opened officially on 22 July 2009. The name of the ESA centre is the European Robotics and Climate Change Centre.
In February 2009, BNSC, ESA and Reaction Engines Limited
Reaction Engines Limited
Reaction Engines Limited is a British aerospace company based in Oxfordshire, England.- History & personnel :Reaction Engines was founded in 1989 by Alan Bond and Richard Varvill and John Scott-Scott...
announced a public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
funding scheme to demonstrate key technologies of the SABRE
SABRE
SABRE is a concept by Reaction Engines Limited for a hypersonic precooled hybrid air breathing rocket engine for propelling the proposed Skylon launch vehicle into low Earth orbit...
engine for the proposed Reaction Engines Skylon spaceplane.
Partners
BNSC Partners:- Department for Business, Innovation and SkillsDepartment for Business, Innovation and SkillsThe Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .-Ministers:The BIS...
- Department for TransportDepartment for TransportIn the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
- Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
- Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeForeign and Commonwealth OfficeThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
- Department for Children, Schools and FamiliesDepartment for Children, Schools and FamiliesThe Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
- Technology Strategy BoardTechnology Strategy BoardThe Technology Strategy Board is a UK public body operating at arm's length from the Government reporting to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills .- History :...
- Natural Environment Research CouncilNatural Environment Research CouncilThe Natural Environment Research Council is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.-History:...
- Science and Technology Facilities CouncilScience and Technology Facilities CouncilThe Science and Technology Facilities Council is a UK government body that carries out civil research in science and engineering, and funds UK research in areas including particle physics, nuclear physics, space science and astronomy .-History:It was formed in April 2007 as a merger of the Particle...
- Met OfficeMet OfficeThe Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
External links
- British National Space Centre
- UK Government Space IGS (Innovation and Growth Strategy)
- Douglas Millard, An Overview of United Kingdom Space Activity 1957-1987, ESA