Comments on: Group timeline: 1960s http://space50.star.le.ac.uk/2009/06/08/group-timeline-1960s/ Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:56:59 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Ken Pounds http://space50.star.le.ac.uk/2009/06/08/group-timeline-1960s/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Ken Pounds Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:56:59 +0000 The solar X-ray detector flown on SL49 was the first of a series of flights of a simple device with which a sensitive, coarse grain film was exposed to the Sun successively through different metal filters, to obtain a crude solar X-ray spectrum. To survive impact, hopefully via parachute of the whole Skylark payload, the film was contained in a strong stainless steel holder, and exposed above the atmosphere via a pre-programmed shutter mechanism. The detector was designed when I was still at UCL, and continued to be built there after 1960. In that respect the timeline is correct. However, the addition of filters and film, and the scientific analysis was carried out at Leicester. The solar X-ray detector flown on SL49 was the first of a series of flights of a simple device with which a sensitive, coarse grain film was exposed to the Sun successively through different metal filters, to obtain a crude solar X-ray spectrum. To survive impact, hopefully via parachute of the whole Skylark payload, the film was contained in a strong stainless steel holder, and exposed above the atmosphere via a pre-programmed shutter mechanism.
The detector was designed when I was still at UCL, and continued to be built there
after 1960. In that respect the timeline is correct. However, the addition of filters and film, and the scientific analysis was carried out at Leicester.

]]> By: Mike Watson http://space50.star.le.ac.uk/2009/06/08/group-timeline-1960s/comment-page-1/#comment-133 Mike Watson Fri, 17 Sep 2010 07:18:24 +0000 Robin You may easily be correct. I'll ask Ken Pounds to comment. In the meantime there is a compilation here: http://www.planet4589.org/space/misc/lux.html which may shed further light. Robin

You may easily be correct. I’ll ask Ken Pounds to comment. In the meantime there is a compilation here:

http://www.planet4589.org/space/misc/lux.html

which may shed further light.

]]> By: Robin Brand http://space50.star.le.ac.uk/2009/06/08/group-timeline-1960s/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Robin Brand Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:45:00 +0000 Your group timeline for the 1960s lists the first Leicester-built instrument as being launched into space aboard Skylark in 1961. I find this surprising, as research for a book I am writing on the history of Skylark indicates that the first solely Leicester instrument (i.e. not UCL/Leicester instrument) was a "Soft solar x-ray detector" launched on Skylark SL49 in November 1960. (Massey & Robins (1986),History of British Space Science, p.394). Can anyone clarify this? Was the SL49 instrument perhaps not actually built at Leicester? Your group timeline for the 1960s lists the first Leicester-built instrument as being launched into space aboard Skylark in 1961. I find this surprising, as research for a book I am writing on the history of Skylark indicates that the first solely Leicester instrument (i.e. not UCL/Leicester instrument) was a “Soft solar x-ray detector” launched on Skylark SL49 in November 1960. (Massey & Robins (1986),History of British Space Science, p.394). Can anyone clarify this? Was the SL49 instrument perhaps not actually built at Leicester?

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