Britain has made radical developments in the field of space science. Researches in
Britain space science have been influenced by developments and contributions of researchers from other European countries. Renowned space science institutes and research centers are located in Britain. The Space Science and Technology Department in Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has made big contributions in the progress of space science in Britain.
British National Space Center (BSNC)
The British National Space Center or the BNSC is a key player in the field of exploring space. The Center is a pioneer in promoting space science research. The various functions of this space center include:
- Coordinating UK civil space activity
- Supporting academic research
- Increasing the understanding of space science and its practical benefits
- Developing and exploiting the possibilities in UK space industry
Mullard Space Science Laboratory
This laboratory is probably the largest university space science research group in Britain. Since its inception in 1966, this laboratory has successfully participated in 35 satellite missions and over 200 rocket experiments. Mullard Space Science Laboratory mainly conducts research in the field of space science and climate physics.
The National Space Center Museum
This is an excellent British museum in United Kingdom devoted to space science and astronomy. It is located in the city of Leicester, England, next to River Soar. This fascinating museum is a collective effort of University of Leicester's Space Research Center and the local government agencies. This museum has six galleries which exhibits all kinds of things relating to space. One of the famous displays in the museum is the Beagle 2 Mars spacecraft. This spacecraft was in the earlier times controlled from the Landing Operations Control Center.
The Space Science and Technology Department in the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is engaged in the development of space instrumentation for space research. The main areas include solar physics, planetary and magneto spheric physics, astronomy and fundamental physics.
Space science research in Britain is funded by various European space agencies and these agencies constantly work for further development in this field.
