extending European space cooperation over the whole spectrum of commercial, military, industrial and prestige regimes. The UK. Outside the USSR and the USA, the UK was the first to launch a national satellite and the 6th to have a national launcher - contributing an even larger launcher (temporarily) to a European programme. Uniquely, the UK has been the first nation that, having attained this world-class technical status, has abandoned the field to others, going so far as to destroy, both politically and physically, its own capability. Its national launcher flew successfully after its cancellation. In the early 1960s, the UK had expertise on hypersonic structures and propulsion second to none. By a quirk, the individuals who remain are enthusiastic, were young but gained the right expertise in the 1960s and 1970s, and above all have remained in contact and in debate. From their efforts, the UK does have a unique technological stance at present as exemplified by the HOTOL project and electric space propulsion. There are also developments in spacecraft areas, in which the UK has maintained production ability but little technological development, with remote manipulators, space platforms and advanced solar and other power supplies. All these areas are advanced in their field and could form the basis for carrying the UK into a new era. However, all are also presently invested in only a (slowly expanding) handful of scientists and engineers so the UK propulsion technology is currently following two viable and promising but rather offbeat paths: • 1. Electric Propulsion, • 2. HOTOL. Only the second path has the potential to affect the world scene in the short term. However, by now the required technologies have been well scattered even if still in existence, making it difficult to capitalize on them. This may make it impossible to ‘go it alone' with HOTOL. In spite of this, HOTOL represents a typical, unique and timely opportunity. If political difficulties prevent HOTOL from being Europeanized the UK could team up with the USA. This would probably destroy all other Western economic competition, and would, because of the US response to the Soviet expansion, guarantee a very rapid development of HOTOL's propulsion and vehicle concepts. Britain may initially fair quite well, but would probably always be in danger of losing its grip on most of the technology. Even if this happens, the UK entering the USA/USSR contest could have some interesting consequences both for the military and commercial space fields. The question at once presents itself as to the size of HOTOL which at the moment is small as dictated by the economies of a current commercial launcher. If the HOTOL technology is proven viable then there is no reason why larger vehicles should not be designed. In CST's opinion these vehicles could be in the thousands of tonnes lift-off mass class and be able to better the economies of the Soviet launching system hence allowing the US economy to match or even exceed the potential of the Soviet space industrialization programme. The USA has already expressed a requirement for SSTO vehicles with an 80 tonnes to LEO payload capability.
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