Reliant Robin space shuttle

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 5:48 pm

Forgot to make post on Sunday, just in case anyone missed it, Top Gear built & launched .........

A plastic pig space shuttle

watch it here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni1Ek_TlTBE

BBC Production notes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/show/produ ... ttle.shtml

Post by **UBT - PennyQ** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:12 pm

It was actually quite impressive! Shame the release bolt didn't work though...

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:17 pm

I have to say that I was mightily impressed by what was achieved....quite scary that it actually went up straight and didn't just explode on the ground.

As Penny says, what a shame a bolt failed, coz although I didn't expect it to "glide in and land" properly, the rest of the flight could well have re-established the UK's "kudos" in the space race

PS I wonder how much of the licence fee was used to pay for it....! I, for one, would happily pay at least double if they could try again...

regards

Tim

Post by **UBT - PennyQ** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:19 pm

My thoughts exactly - worth every ha'penny!

Semmy · Post by **Semmy** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:31 pm

Mmmm... one of my fave ex-hobbies, High Powered Amateur Rocketry. Spent many a happy day at one or other of the Uk launch sites prepping for a flight.
You would be suprised how sophisticated some of the guys got with their kit, altimeters, gyro stabilised, radio beacons, inflight video, broadcast video the lot!

http://www.ukra.org.uk/ - The UK governing body (bloomin nice chaps too)

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:30 pm

UBT - Timbo wrote:I have to say that I was mightily impressed by what was achieved....
could well have re-established the UK's "kudos" in the space race

regards

Tim

There was a program on BBC4 "Time Shift: British Space Race" which is still occasionally shown on uktv history - British Space Race.

"The story of the unsung pioneers of British space exploration - the rocket engineers, the scientists and the dreamers who never gave up on their vision despite lack of resources."

Its probably not that well known just how advanced Britain was with rocket technology and was a leading player in the space race, especially with the use of Hydrogen peroxide (the stuff used for hair dye) as fuel.

As usual it was down to a lack money and investment that put an end to the project, eventually seeing most of our scientists go to the US.

The program finishes with the successful launch of "..........Blue or Blue something" (not sure what it was called) in the Australian desert, a truly fantastic sight and achievement considering the lack of funds.

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:41 pm

Gary wrote:The program finishes with the successful launch of "..........Blue or Blue something" (not sure what it was called) in the Australian desert, a truly fantastic sight and achievement considering the lack of funds.

Think it was "Blue Streak" but the project was cancelled by the then UK Govt of the day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Streak_missile

regards

Tim

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:28 pm

UBT - Timbo wrote:
Think it was "Blue Streak" but the project was cancelled by the then UK Govt of the day:

regards

Tim

Just as the commercial satellite business took off !!