Introductory remarks

Abstract

Sir Harrie Massey opened the discussion meeting by stating that although the British National Committee was no longer responsible for the planning of the British space research programme it still had important functions. One was the link it provided with the Scientific Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), and another was in the arranging of discussion meetings on various subjects related to space science. He stated that the discussion meeting on space science and technology was the first of such meetings arranged by the British National Committee on Space Research to be held at the Royal Society’s new headquarters, and that this meeting would deal with a wider range of subjects related to space research than had the two previous meetings, i.e. on orbital analysis and infrared astronomy. Sir Harrie said that it was unsatisfactory that space research had necessarily developed in various directions without much coherence, and it was most suitable that the National Committee should organize a discussion meeting between those concerned with both the technological and scientific aspects of space research, so that both sides could be brought together to outline their skills on the one hand and their scientific requirements on the other.