United in Space

THOSE who anticipated that Britain would embark upon a full‐scale space research programme in the immediate future must have been sorely disappointed by the decisions reached by the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy. In its Annual Report published on December 8, 1959, and reproduced on page 52 of this issue, the Council recommended that before a final decision was made regarding a British rocket and satellite programme the Government should await the results of design studies on the adaptation of military rockets that are being carried out by the Ministry of Aviation. Meanwhile the British National Committee on Space Research will supervise a three‐year scientific programme which will involve the use of British instruments carried in satellites constructed and launched under the aegis of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N.A.S.A.).