Abstract

The British Interplanetary Society, the world’s oldest organisation dedicated to promoting the use and exploration of Space, was formally founded in Liverpool on 13 October 1933 and published its first Journal in January 1934. Its Technical Committee began its detailed studies on Moonships and Moon Landers in 1936/37, but where was the UK’s Space industry then and where is it now?

Speaker Bio:

Alistair D. Scott, TD, BSc, FBIS , MRAeS President, The British Interplanetary Society

Born in Hong Kong and educated in Bangkok, England and Scotland, Alistair Scott joined Hawker Siddeley Aviation at Hatfield as an Undergraduate Apprentice in 1967. Gaining an Aeronautical Engineering degree from Bristol University, he worked in Design and Sales Engineering on the Trident, HS125 , A300B Airbus and HS146 aircraft. In 1978 he joined British Aerospace in Stevenage as Marketing Manager, Defence Systems and in 1984 moved to BAe Space and Communications to become Marketing Manager, Communications Satellites. On the formation of Astrium in May 2000, he was appointed Director of Communications and was Adviser (UK) Communications & PR, EADS Astrium, Stevenage until he retired in October 2011. He was elected President of the British Interplanetary Society in September 2012 and is a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. His other interests include the Territorial Army(Major RA(V) retired), vintage cars and military vehicles, sailing and cartooning. He is married with two grown up children.