Memorandum 47
Submission from Dr Peter Hodkinson
AN ARGUMENT FOR UK INVOLVEMENT IN HUMAN SPACE
FLIGHT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. I believe in manned space flight and
further I think the UK should actively support manned space flight
and its associated Earth based work. In this era of space tourism
the UK should not be left behind and needs to develop and support
expertise in Space Medicine and associated disciplines. The prospect
of human space flight can be used to encourage people into the
study of, and careers in, the sciences and engineering. Support
for manned space flight would create a multitude of jobs in the
UK and prevent further loss of highflying individuals to overseas
agencies in pursuit of work within the field of Space Medicine.
2. I am currently undertaking my General
Duties Medical Officer year with the Royal Air Force (RAF) at
RAF Kinloss. I studied Medicine at the University of Edinburgh
where I also took an intercalated BSc in Physiology. Prior to
commencing the clinical years of Medicine I undertook a second
intercalated year to pursue an MSc in Human and Applied Physiology
at King's College London, which focused on the human body in extreme
environments. I elected to do this MSc to pursue my interest in
Aerospace Medicine. I will return to hospital medicine in February
2007 to work towards Membership of the Royal College of Physicians
following which I intend to specialise in Aviation Medicine with
the RAF. I have watched the UK Space Biomedicine Group from afar
wishing I could be in some way involved but lack any Space Medicine
experience, following this year's conference though I do hope
to become actively involved in the UK Space Medicine Association
in my spare time.
COMMENTARY
3. I believe in manned space flight for
a number of reasons: it is a driver for new technologies; investigation
into life on Mars, or perhaps more interestingly its absence,
will shed light on our own existence; it is likely to be decades
before robotics catch up with that a human can do and transmissions
delays would render a human-in-the-loop from Earth for a Mars
mission impractical; space flight is a novel environment for research
and can provide insight into Earthbound diseases; manned space
is inspiring and this enthusiasm can be harnessed to encourage
children to study and enter into careers in science and engineering;
there is clearly a market for space tourism; and manned space
flight is of relevance to a great variety of people and industries
in the life sciences, engineering, astronomy and materials science.
4. Further to this I think the UK should
actively support manned space flight and its associated Earth
based work because: UK research and academic institutions are
among some of the best in the world and we should not be without
a presence in the field of Space Medicine; current UK expertise
in un-manned space activities would be well placed to diversify
into manned activities; the UK needs something to halt the decline
in students pursuing science and technology and the potential
of human space flight can be harnessed to encourage people into
these fields; it would create jobs in the UK—in medicine,
basic sciences, allied health professions, astrophysics, engineering,
and commercially; and it is astounding what the group of individuals
running the now UK Space Medicine Association have achieved since
I first heard Kevin Fong talk at his 1999 symposium on "The
Future of Space Biomedicine Research in the UK" in-spite
of demanding full-time jobs and a lack of UK support and the UK
should be doing what it can to keep such people in the UK and
to support their work. Although not a sufficient argument in itself
to support manned space flight I do also find it astonishing that
the UK, a nation with such strong expeditionary and exploring
roots, does not take part in the manned exploration of space.
5. Britain should not be left behind in
this second Space Age and I implore you to change the current
UK Space Policy and support manned space flight.
October 2006
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