The first British space program began in 1959 with the Ariel series of six satellites which were built in the U.K. and the U.S. The satellites were launched by N.A.S.A. from U.S. sites. Ariel 1 was launched in 1962. The last of the six Ariel satellites was launched in 1979. Four of the satellites relayed back information about the Earth's ionosphere. The other two were dedicated to X-ray astronomy and cosmic-ray studies.
Between 1959 and 1985 Britain constructed and lauched several different types of space rockets. Rockets were tested on the Isle of Wight and at the Royal Air Force Spadeadam in Cumbria. Rockets were tested and launched from Woomera in South Australia. Blue Streak was a medium range ballistic missile that was intended as a nuclear delivery system but the project was cancelled in 1960 because it was too expensive. Then the government decided to incorporate Blue Streak into a satellite launch vehicle called Black Prince. The Black Knight rockets were designed to test the design of a reentry vehicle for the Blue Streak missile. Twenty two Black Knight rockets were launched between 1958 and 1965. The proposed Black Prince rocket would include a Blue Steak first stage, a Black Knight second stage and a solid fueled military rocket for a third stage. Black Prince was cancelled in 1960 in favor of British participation in the European Launch Development Organization.
The Black Arrow rocket was based on the design of the Black Knight rocket. It was launched from Woomera in Australia in 1969. In 1972, the last Black Arrow rocket carried the Prospero X-3 satellite into Earth orbit.. Prospero X-3 is the only British satellite ever placed in orbit by a British launch vehicle.
Skynet is a British military satellite program. Skynet provides strategic communication for the British Armed Forces and N.A.T.O. The first Skynet sattelite was launched in 1969. The last Skynet satellite launch to date took place in 2012.
By 1972, British funding for both the Blue Streak and Black Arrow had ceased and no other British space rockets were developed. In 1982, the British launched the Horizontal Take-Off and Landing project to create a space plane that could use air-breathing engines while in the Earth's atmosphere. It would have a single stage and would be able to reach Earth Orbit after taking off from a horizontal runway. The British government ultimately cancelled the program and ended funding.
In 1985, the British created the British National Space Center to coordinate all space related activities. The British did contribute seventeen percent of the budget for the European Space Agency science program and the Aurora program which was established in 2001. The Aurora is a human space program aimed at the exploration of the solar system with robotic probes and human astronauts. Britain did not contribute to the Internation Space Station because they did not believe that it would be worth the cost.
The goals of the British space program are "win sustainable economic growth, secure new scientific knowledge and provide benefits to all citizens." The British have never harbored ambitions to have an indigineous human space flight capability. They have relied on the U.S. and other nations to launch their satellites and they are participating the the European Space Agency.
