Scientists want lift off for UK astronauts

Royal Astronomical Society calls for UK astronauts to boldly go

The Royal Astronomical Society has called for an end to the moratorium on British involvement in manned space missions.

Funding is currently only available to participate in unmanned missions to outer space, but the Society wants to see at least £150m a year spent on developing the next generation of UK astronauts.

With manned missions to Mars and the Moon already scheduled, Britain needs to be in a position to take part, the organisation argues in a newly published paper. 

"Profound scientific questions relating to the history of the solar system and the existence of life beyond Earth can best, perhaps only, be achieved by human exploration on the Moon or Mars, supported by appropriate automated systems," said report authors Professor Frank Close, Dr John Dudeney and Professor Ken Pounds.

"It is hard to conceive that the UK, one of the world's leading economies, would stand aside from such a global scientific and technological endeavour.

"We therefore regard it as timely for Her Majesty's government to re-evaluate its long-standing opposition to British involvement in human space exploration. "

The report highlights the benefits of such a move, from encouraging young people to take more interest in science and technology to the geopolitical benefits of maintaining Britain's role as a world power.

Michael Foale was the first British astronaut to take part in a space walk but had to move to the US 20 years ago and give up British citizenship to get on the space programme.

He currently holds the US record for the most time spent in orbit (374 days and 11 hours) thanks to a six-month stint on the International Space Station.

Helen Sharman was the first home-grown Briton in space, flying the Juno mission in May 1991. She remains the only British citizen to leave the Earth's atmosphere.