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New in 2008

• The great UK in space debate: British proposal to build two Habitation Extension Modules for the International Space Station, by Mark Hempsell, senior lecturer in Astronautics at the Dept of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol -- versus The Hempsell plan: Boldly Going the Wrong Way, by Duncan Law-Green, Dept of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester (January 2008)
  
  
• A report on an evening meeting at the BIS: Three Ways to Mars, by Bob Parkinson, Alan Bond and Mark Hempsell, presented at the British Interplanetary Society, London, 24 October 2007; report written up by Stephen Ashworth (added 4 January 2008; PDF file)

New in 2007

• A letter to the BNSC: A Review of the Report of the UK Space Exploration Working Group, by Stephen Ashworth (released 25 October 2007; PDF file) -- making the following points:
  1. Although the Global Exploration embodies noble aspirations (which I share), its narrow focus on science and spinoff invites constructive criticism.
  2. The SEWG is to be congratulated for attempting to broaden the scope of the Strategy. In particular, a strong case can be made that two important near-future space developments will be large-scale passenger spaceflight and space-based harvesting of solar power for use on Earth, both of which find a place in the Report. But regrettably, when it comes to draw up its scenarios and recommendations, the SEWG sets these aside and falls back into the conventional science and spinoff paradigm.
  3. The SEWG has therefore been unable to properly fulfil its mandate to assess the opportunities and benefits for Britain.
  
  
  
• New essay: Beyond the Psychoscope, by Stephen Ashworth -- the long-awaited solution to the mind-body problem, or how consciousness is related to the brain (added 9 April 2007)
  
  
• New essay: Open letter to Prof. Garton Ash, by Stephen Ashworth -- on Europe and exploration, responding to his article in the Feb. 2007 issue of Prospect magazine (added 9 April 2007)

New in 2006

Astronautical Evolution

• Our activity in 2006 is focused on establishing a monthly e-mail newsletter, with the title Astronautical Evolution, devoted to news and comment from an astronautical evolutionist perspective. To subscribe / unsubscribe / contribute / comment, please e-mail Stephen Ashworth on sa (at) astronist.demon.co.uk. Please visit the archive of past issues here.

• New poem: On hearing that Monica Grady has written a limerick about Mars, by Stephen Ashworth (January 2005) (see "UNIVERSE poetry competition organised by the British Association for the Advancement of Science)
  
  
• New essay: The Mission, the Business and the Tandem, by Stephen Ashworth -- how can the public space agency and the private space business work together to make progress towards a spacefaring civilisation? (January 2005)
  
  
• New essay: Interview with George Armstrong, January 2100, by Stephen Ashworth (January 2005)
  
  
• New stage play: The Moonlighter, by Stephen Ashworth
  
  
• Your item here???
  
  

Mission Statement

Space is the crucial frontier of our time. Whether we use the new millennium to establish self-supporting colonies out in space and on the Moon and Mars will be the definitive test of the fitness of our civilisation to survive and prosper.

Painting by David A. Hardy, from FUTURES by Patrick Moore and David A. Hardy.

The artist writes: "I received my author's copy of FUTURES a couple of days ago, and am delighted with it -- I think it's my best art book yet!" (March 2004)

Campaigns in 2004

• The Starchaser campaign -- Britain's leading entry in the international Ansari X-Prize competition of ten million dollars for the first non-government sub-orbital space flight
  
  
• The Beagle 2 campaign! -- Britain's Mars probe deserves a second chance to prove itself
  
  
• Essay: Why Should We Campaign? What Should We Campaign For?, by Stephen Ashworth
  
  
• Campaign Diary, by Stephen Ashworth
  
  

Other recent items

• List of Essays -- most recently added to on 9 April 2007
  
  
• Forthcoming events -- updated 1 January 2005
  
  
• Support the Save Concorde Group -- sign the petition to keep Britain and France's most famous aeroplane in the air
  
  
• Remember: Concorde is still the shape of the future!
  
  
• Vote on the International Space Station -- associates give their verdict on whether Britain should rejoin ESA's astronaut programme, so that UK citizens can qualify for ISS flights (August 2003)
  
  
• "Why go to Mars?" -- why Britain should be congratulated on the upcoming launch of Beagle 2 on 2 June 2003, and why decision-makers should be urged to follow up with a more serious Mars programme (May 2003)
  
  
• Check out Alan Wasser's Space Settlement Initiative for the latest innovative thinking on how sustainable missions to the Moon and Mars might be promoted (May 2003)

Space Age: General Info

Space Age is a UK-based, international internet community. It is dedicated to publicly promoting a positive and constructive vision of the future of humanity as a spacefaring civilisation. To this end, we encourage electronic networking among our associates.

Other pages:

• Welcome to Space Age: organisation and goals
• JOIN US ! -- on-line subscription to the Space Age mailing list
• Topical votes -- the Space Age corporate view on topical questions

Stardust we are; to the stars we shall return.

Space Age People

• David A. Hardy -- one of Britain's best-known space artists
• Tom Harris -- space activist, freelance author and speaker (Canada)

Departure Node

• Go to: Government and National Space Agencies
• Go to: Private, Educational and Direct-Action Sites
• Go to: Commercial and Media Sites, including Britain's three innovative private launch vehicle companies