Message from RAeS OUR PRESIDENT

Message from RAeS

OUR PRESIDENT

Howard Nye

Thanks to the dedication and perseverance of the organising committee in close co-operation with the executive team in these challenging times, we were able to ensure that my presidential mandate kicked off with the 2021 President’s Conference, entitled ‘UK in the 2020’s – An Emerging Space Power’, a virtual event held on 19 and 20 May, and which turned out to be a great success.

Day 1 focused on international partnerships and growth, in which space leaders from NASA and the US, the China National Space Administration, the German Aerospace Center, the UK, Canada, the Australian Space Agency, New Zealand and Japan provided their views on what a 2030 space-enabled world would look like and the opportunities for growth and collaboration, concluding with a panel discussion on the international trading and business ecosystem.

Day 2 focused on UK domestic ambitions, technology, UK regional clusters, and last but by no means least, UK skills, education and apprenticeships.

We were honoured to have a very high level of keynote speakers, including the Rt Hon Amanda Solloway MP, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Dr Graham Turnock, UK Space Agency CEO, Dr Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA, AVM Harv Smyth, Director Space, UK Ministry of Defence, Her Excellency Sarah Al-Amiri, Chair of the UAE Space Agency, Dr Anna Hogg, Associate Professor of the University of Leeds, as well as Will Whitehorn, President of the space industry body UKspace, who set the scene at the start of Day 1.

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our lead sponsor, Telespazio and the five additional sponsors, the dedication of the speakers, the session and panel chairs and those who supported them and the online service provider.

At the June Council meeting we started off by welcoming our three newly elected members and our three re-elected members, noting that for the first time in the history of the Society, we have an equal number of elected male and female Council members. The business of Council then proceeded with the secure online election of Dr Alisdair Wood as a Council appointee to the Board of Trustees and the approval of Nominations Committee recommendation for the continued council co-opted posts of Sir Christopher Harper and Nick Shave and one new person, Paul Cremin of the DfT.

As is now the case at Council meetings, members had the opportunity to discuss and express their views on technical, political or academic matters of interest to the Society. In this case related to space, in three specific areas, firstly regarding Human Space Travel, both private and publicly funded and the related ethical aspects, then, regarding Aviation and Space, the potential synergies between the future of both, the exchange of lessons learned in each domain, and most important for the future, the opportunities for greater cohesion across skills and education. Owing to a lack of time, the last topic, Defence and Space, particularly multi-domain operations was not elaborated in depth. The overall discussion was very fruitful, bringing up many interesting views. One question in particular stood out, namely what must the Society do both as a learned society and as a professional engineering institution to enhance our profile and relevance in the space sector, not least in promoting the career opportunities to young people.

AS I WRITE, I UNDERSTAND THAT G7 LEADERS HAVE ALL PLEDGED SUPPORT FOR ‘THE SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SPACE TO SUPPORT HUMANITY’S AMBITIONS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE’

I then went on to outline the major objectives for my mandate as President. I will be working with the Branches Committee and the Specialist Group Co-ordination Committee in collaboration with the D&I Committee, the Women in Aerospace and Aviation Committee and the Young Persons Committee to elaborate a plan for every Specialist Group, Division and Branch to nominate one person responsible for Diversity and Inclusion and another person responsible for Young Persons, each engaging with the respective local industries and universities to achieve the Society aim to continue the drive to engage with people from diverse cultures, to encourage and support women and people from other under-represented communities to enter and stay in our world and to encourage young people to consider careers in the sector, be it aerospace, aviation or space.

Last but not least, I was very pleased to have been able to virtually attend the Leslie Bedford named lecture on 1 June organised by the Stevenage Branch and to offer a vote of thanks to the invited speaker, ACM Mike Wigston, Chief of the Air Staff. I have to say that I was most impressed, not only by the very interesting talk and the speaker’s candid responses to the questions raised, but also to the quality of both the event and the selected online system. I look forward to participating, virtually for the time being, at several other named lectures and selected priority events organised by yourselves, our dedicated members.

As I write, I understand that G7 leaders have all pledged support for ‘the safe and sustainable use of space to support humanity’s ambitions now and in the future’ and to take action to tackle the growing hazard of space debris as Earth orbits become increasingly crowded and dangerous. They are calling for implementation of the United Nations’ Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines, a voluntary set of guidelines adopted in 2019, encouraging collaboration through groups such as the United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, the International Organization for Standardization and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, to preserve the space environment for future generations.

OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Sir Brian Burridge

- While the announcement of the UK’s continued Covid restrictions may have been both predictable and necessary, it comes as a particular blow to the aviation sector. The much hoped-for summer resurgence has been frustrated by the lack of green UK traffic lights, the UK’s omission from the EU’s White List and the blow to passenger confidence that continued restrictions represents. In addition, transatlantic operators have lobbied unsuccessfully for the creation of a UK-US air corridor. Meanwhile, airlines have had to adjust their postures such that easyJet has shifted holiday schedules away from the UK to Europe and BA has increased the number of staff on furlough. In the longer term, the challenge arises over ‘learning to live with the virus’ which now features in the government’s messaging.

- For our part, the plan to invoke blended working at No.4 Hamilton Place has been delayed until at least 19 July. While disappointing, it does not materially affect our ability to deliver our outputs. When we do return, we will shake down all the necessary procedures such that we can use the building more widely for face-to-face meetings and events but, of course, we will continue to operate in the virtual environment. Again, ‘learning to live with the virus’ will be a consideration.

- On a brighter note, the Young Persons Committee survey results make interesting reading. Over 350 members responded which speaks to the vibrancy of our younger cohort and the excellent stewardship provided by the committee. Perhaps predictably, the hottest topics for young people are space and sustainability so the Society is very much running with the grain there. Where we are less successful is in ‘solving the disconnect’ between our younger members and the broader Society, a facet that I recognise. We are also not seen as effective in marketing our services to this cohort. Clearly, we have work to do and will rise to the challenge.

WHERE WE ARE LESS SUCCESSFUL IS IN ‘SOLVING THE DISCONNECT’ BETWEEN OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS AND THE BROADER SOCIETY, A FACET THAT I RECOGNISE

- Related to that last point, we have reinstated an online and interactive form of our Ballantyne events named after Archie Ballantyne, former RAeS Secretary, which are aimed at secondary schools to be held on 14 and 15 July. Working with Society partners, the days will include inspirational talks, careers information and hands-on engineering activities for the students. This initiative aims to address the lack of STEM outreach available to schools over the past year because of education’s Covid posture. Our thanks again to Boeing for their support. In addition, exhibitor registration is now open for Careers in Aerospace & Aviation LIVE 2021, our flagship recruitment and training fair taking place online in early November.

- Also aimed at the younger cohort, though not exclusively, the Society’s General Aviation Group has launched the 2021/2022 International Light Aircraft Design Competition, supported by the LAA and BMAA. This year, the competition aligns with the university academic year to enable incorporation into a course syllabus if appropriate. The mission is to design a piloted electric aircraft that will deliver a passenger or essential supplies in equatorial countries from short, dirt airstrips. To enter as an individual or team and to review the rules visit www.aerosociety.com/aircraft-design comp (see following pages).

- On future events, two significant Society-named lectures are imminent: the Lanchester Lecture which will take place online on 5 July (17:0018:30 BST). This year Trevor Birch, Technical Fellow at the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, will be focusing on the aerodynamics issues associated with weapons integration. The Amy Johnson Named Lecture 2021, again online, is on 8 July (14:30- 15:30 BST) entitled ‘Inspiring, Training and Developing the Next Generation’ and given by Air Commodore Suraya Marshall, Commandant, Royal Air Force College Cranwell. The Society’s Women in Aerospace and Aviation Committee will also provide an update on the alta mentoring programme. For Corporate Partners and with COP26 in mind, we also have a briefing on 12 July by Kamran Iqbal from the Electric Aviation Group who will update us on its hybrid-electric regional aircraft. Go to the events calendar on our website to book your place.

- Finally, our congratulations go to three of our Fellows who were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Mike Ryan of Spirit Aerosystems was made a Knight Bachelor. Major General Neil Sexton and Air Vice-Marshal Simon Ellard were both appointed as Companions of the Order of the Bath. Also of note, Professor Helen Atkinson of Cranfield University and a great friend to the Society became a Dame Commander of the British Empire. Meanwhile, we thank Dr Alice Bunn for her contribution as she steps down to take up her appointment as the Chief Executive of the IMechE. Serving for the remainder of Alice’s term will be Miss Lalitya Dhavala MRAeS maintaining our precise gender balance among elected members on Council and adding to our international profile.