Could Next Man on the Moon Be British?

EXPERTS want British astronauts walking on the Moon by the 2020s.

An influential report has called on the Government to abandon its opposition to manned space flight or risk being left behind by the rest of the world.

The proposals, from a panel of scientists and industry chiefs appointed by the British National Space Centre, would see two UK astronauts blasted into orbit by 2015.

Britain would also join international efforts to send people to the Moon and Mars. As we have no rocket programme, our astronauts would have to hitch a ride on a U.S., Russian or European spacecraft.

Professor Frank Close, who chaired the group, said Britain was the only G8 country not planning human spaceflight.

He said: ‘It is time to decide: Do we lead or do we just follow? A high-profile, UKbranded presence would engage British society in the full excitement of space exploration and help to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers.’ British governments have consistently dismissed manned space missions as a waste of money.The UK’s 207million annual space budget goes on robot missions and satellites.

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