Timeline: 50 Years of Leicester in Space
The University of Leicester has a long and distinguished record of involvement in space science. Professor Ken Pounds, former Head of Physics and Astronomy and Emeritus Professor of Space Physics, has played a pivotal role in this success story. Here he describes how Leicester came to be in the forefront of space research and charts the milestones in space exploration.
- Professor Ken Pounds
"This first man-made satellite, launched by the Soviet Union, was front page news for days. The impact in the USA was dramatic, and they responded within a year with their own satellite, Vanguard, and NASA was created.
"Although at a much lower level than in the USSR and USA, there were already plans to explore the 'peaceful use of space' in the UK. The Royal Society formed a high level group to look into the possibilities and development of the Skylark research rocket, which began in 1955 at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough.
"The upshot was a programme of scientific research, with an early player being the new 'Rocket research group' at University College London. I joined that group as its first research student in 1956 with the task of developing techniques to measure X-radiation from the Sun (a measure of solar activity).
"It turned out the vacuum equipment I needed to check out my instruments before flight already existed in the Physics Department at Leicester.
"By 1959 the research was going well, and it was decided to establish a new university group to specialise in X-ray observations from space. Leicester was by then the obvious place and I was offered an assistant lectureship, to come here and lead the project. The salary of £700 was too good an offer for a research student to refuse. So I came in January 1960, and in July we were awarded a grant of £13,006 from DSIR to study solar and stellar X-ray emissions."
1960s
Ariel 1; first cosmic X-ray source discovered; ESRO 2; OSO-4 and -5...
1970s
Copernicus; Skylab, ESA founded; Ariel 5 and 6...
1980s
Space Shuttle debuts; EXOSAT; Halley's Comet; BNSC established; ASTRO-C/GINGA...
1990s
Hubble; ROSAT; first SST degree; Helen Sharman; Hubble repaired; Space Research Centre opens...
2000s
National Space Centre opens; XMM-Newton; Beagle 2; SWIFT...
