United Kingdom activities

Abstract

The first formal moves which were to lead eventually to satellite Ariel I, the first international ionosphere satellite, took place at the second meeting of cospar, the Committee on Space Research set up by the International Council of Scientific Unions. At this meeting, in the Hague in March 1959, the U.S. delegate, on behalf of the National Academy of Sciences, announced that the United States were prepared to launch satellites containing scientific instruments designed and constructed in other countries. The U.K. delegate to COSPAR, Sir Harrie Massey, on behalf of the Royal Society took the initiative in exploring further this offer; as a result of negotiations with H.M. Government financial support was assured, enabling firm plans to be considered which led eventually to a bilateral agreement between the two Governments, the nominated agencies being respectively the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N.A.S.A.) and the Office of the Minister for Science (see Reference).