The British government has tended to be disdainful of space exploration and human spaceflight over the years, focusing its ESA contributions and its own national space agency, the BNSC, on earth and space sciences as well as commercial applications. However, the UK now seems willing to take on at least a small role in the Vision for Space Exploration: on Thursday the new UK science minister, Malcolm Wicks, met with NASA administrator Michael Griffin in London. Wicks, who replaced the retiring Lord Sainsbury as science minister just a few weeks ago, expressed an interest in cooperating with NASA in lunar exploration, although the specific role(s) the UK would play were not described. “This could be the world’s largest science and technology program.” Wicks said in a statement. “We will be considering whether there is an opportunity to build a partnership with the US.” One potential role hinted at in the release would be the development of small satellites to carry out some missions: UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. is arguably the leading developer of smallsats worldwide.
More details about the roles other countries could play in carrying out the Vision are expected to be released at a press conference Monday in Houston, just before the AIAA’s Second Space Exploration Conference.
International parters with long-term MOUs and contracts may help insure the return to the Moon has significance for the long-term. Historically, the US federal space agency has sustained the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station through foreign partnerships. This may be the same model. It is burden and benefit sharing. Therefore, I welcome international partnership with NASA on a the return to the Moon to stay.