Journey into Space

On Behalf of Bedford Hospital Charity and Friends it is an Honour to present a fascinating Lecture from Alistair D Scott FBIS about, The British Interplanetary Society. On Tuesday 4th June 2pm to 4pm Bunyan Meeting Mill St. Bedford, MK40 3EU, £3:00 on the door all proceeds going towards BHC&F Journey into Space The British Interplanetary Society and the UK Space Industry.

Founded in Liverpool in 1933 by a small group of enthusiasts who thought that Britain should, like the USA, USSR and Germany, be using and exploring Space, the British Interplanetary Society attracted members with a wide range of interests including scientists, engineers, business entrepreneurs and science fiction authors and fans. Its first project, to design a moonship and lander, was completed in 1938/39 and was updated post World War 2 using the latest rocket technologies.

In 1951 it was a founder member of the International Astronautics Federation and played a significant part in encouraging and influencing the fledgling UK Space industry. The UK is now a world leader, building the largest TV broadcast and Earth observation satellites, spacecraft to explore Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter, intercept comets and orbit the sun and rovers to land on Mars.

Tim Peake’s Principia Mission on the International Space Station in 2016 opened a new chapter, giving exciting new opportunities, careers and technologies here in the UK and Elon Musk’s Space X has provided a challenging commercial alternative to getting into orbit, to the Moon and beyond. The Society continues to live up to its name and its motto ‘From Imagination to Reality’ and look to the future with its designs for interstellar spacecraft and long duration manned missions to distant planets and other galaxies.

Alistair D. Scott, TD, BSc, FBIS, MRAeS President, The British Interplanetary Society As an Undergraduate Apprentice with Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Hatfield in 1967 Alistair worked on Trident aircraft and joined the Airbus wing design team. Gaining an Aeronautical Engineering degree from Bristol University, he became a Sales Engineer on the HS125 business jet and HS146 airliner. 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 retired in October 2011. He served as President of the British Interplanetary Society from 2012 to 2015 and in 2021 was re-elected President. He is also a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and was a Major in the Territorial Army. His other interests include vintage cars and military vehicles, sailing and cartooning.