- August 6, 2008
- Posted by: EARSC
- Category: EARSC News
Director General of the British National Space Centre (BNSC), Dr David Williams, has responded to ESA’s announcement to discuss the establishment of a space centre in the UK at a European Ministerial Meeting at The Hague in November.
Dr Williams said: “The BNSC welcomes ESA’s announcement to discuss establishing a UK space facility on the Harwell business campus.”
“This facility would focus on three areas that are both complementary to existing ESA facilities and support UK academic and industrial priorities.”
“Firstly, it would improve the integration of Earth observation data and Earth system models to understand climate change research and its environmental impacts. An ESA facility in the UK would also lead to the development of new services for space and non-space observation that could be used by both the UK Government and industry. Finally. it would provide a facility to explore novel areas of research – such as establishing a planetary protection and sample curation facility to analyse Mars return samples, and the development of novel power units and autonomous robotics.”
“BNSC is working to ensure the necessary decisions are made at the Ministerial Meeting which would pave the way to establish a facility in the UK.”
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