Spaceflight Vol 56 No 09 – September 2014

Sir Bernard Lovell and the Soviets
Dominic Phelan unravels a bizarre episode in the history of the Cold War space race and asks whether one of the UK’s most brilliant radio astronomers was victim to a Soviet bid to either recruit or irradiate him.

The road to Mount Sharp
As NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover departs the safe zone where it landed for new and rugged terrain ahead, we look at features and sites that have so far kept the vehicle slightly behind its scheduled traverse log.

HEOS 1: A 50th Anniversary
Philip Corneille remembers Europe’s first deep space science satellite and describes its origin and why it contributed so much to knowledge about our local region of the solar system and why that is important.

Bach Natter Part 2
In Brett Gooden’s second instalment of his three-part look at the world’s first vertically launched man-carrying rocket, the Natter test pilot pays the ultimate price and his accident is investigated.

Regular Features

Britain in Space – SpaceUP – UK Style – UK A magnet for space – New hand on the rudder

World News Analysis – Spaceplane contracts awarded – Ariane 6 contest hots up

Briefing notes – news shorts from around the world

From the Editor

Satellite Digest – 500 June 2014

ISS Operations Summary – 16 June – 15 July 2014

Flashback – A regular feature looking back 50 years ago this month

Off the Shelf – Building Hitler’s Missile – Observing the Moon

Inbox – Special Remembrances of Fred Ordway

Obituary – Frederick I Ordway (1927-2014)

Society News – 45th Anniversary of Apollo 11 – A Letter from the Library – History Committee visit to St Omer

What’s On