Episode 8: The Forgotten British (and Australian!) Space Programme

After WW2, Britain began work on its independent nuclear deterrent, building on Nazi technology seized at the end of WW2. Over time, this would spawn a successful space programme that by 1971 was launching rockets into space. Today we’re going to talk about the forgotten British - and Australian - space programme. In 1971 a British rocket, launched from Australia, carried a satellite into geostationary orbit. On that day, Britain became the fourth nation in history to achieve this feat of scientific and engineering genius. On the same day, it became the first nation to cancel its independent space programme entirely. Today, we’ll be talking about Britain, Australia and the space race and the traces of this forgotten achievement that can still be found today. The Frank Micklethwaite Collection: https://www.v2rocket.com/start/chapters/backfire.html#collection https://satellitemap.space/ Guest: Dr Alice Gorman Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/drspacejunk.bsky.social Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Gareth Edwards More about Gareth Edwards: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To comment and ask questions, please join our community:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://untitled-history.com/supporters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use our code: Rabbit and get one month free as a Captain, or join as a free member. Support via Paypal:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Merchandise and Shop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://untitled-history.com/collections/all⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our WW1 Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our WW2 Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Battle Guide YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Gareth socials BlueSky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Battle Guide Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/BattleguideVT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠General Enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits: - Host: Gareth Edwards - Editing : Hunter Christensen - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices