Message from RAeS

OUR PRESIDENT

Howard Nye

We all recall that in response to Covid-19, the Society was obliged to move to on-line provision of its conferences and events. The first-ever online conference was held on the 9-10 of September 2020 and was entitled ‘Safeguarding Earth’s Space Environment’. It addressed the global challenges related to space debris, a subject becoming increasingly important, particularly in view of the new constellations made up of thousands of satellites being prepared by several companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin and OneWeb. In addition, as reported in this article last month, MP Chris Skidmore gave an excellent briefing to Westminster in July on the same subject, indicating the attention now being paid around the world.

As the Society exists ‘to further the advancement of aeronautical art, science and engineering around the world’ (www.aerosociety.com/about-us), we have agreed to assist the photographer Max Alexander (www.maxalexander.com) in preparation of an exhibition entitled ‘Waste in Space’, supported by international experts and funding from several interested parties, including ESA and the UK Space Agency. The exhibition is aimed at bringing awareness of the challenges both to the authorities and the general public and will open in the UK mid-2022 and then to move on to other nations.

Despite the fact that the long-awaited UK Space Strategy, originally planned for publication in Q4 2020, then in Q2 2021, will, according to BEIS July’s announcement ‘be published in due course’, significant progress been made on other fronts. On 29 July a joint announcement¹ was made by the DfT, the CAA, the UK Space Agency, Science Minister Amanda Solloway MP, and UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that: “Another step towards space exploration from UK soil has been unlocked, with the passing of the spaceflight regulations.” I was honoured to have been quoted in the same announcement and to have participated in a short live interview on Times Radio on 30 July.

Under the principal leadership of Paul Cremin, recently nominated as a co-opted member of the RAeS Council, the Department for Transport has, in partnership with the UK Space Agency, Government Legal Department, Civil Aviation Authority and Health and Safety Executive, put in place the legal and regulatory framework that will facilitate commercial spaceflight launches from the UK. This is indeed a substantial achievement giving the UK the most modern piece of spaceflight legislation in the world and, unlike NASA or French legislation, designed with the commercial market in mind from the outset. In addition, the CAA, nominated as the regulator for UK spaceflight is ready and waiting to process licence applications for satellite launch with immediate effect.

Linked to this new legislation, on 9 September I will be hosting a Highland Branch event at which David Oxley, Director of Strategic Projects at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), a Scottish government body, will be speaking about the progress of the three planned vertical launch sites in the region and the positive impact on the local and national economy.

AND LAST BUT BY NO MEANS LEAST, I WISH TO SINCERELY WELCOME DAVID EDWARDS FRAeS AS THE NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE ROYAL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY

I will also be participating in the 2021 Royal Aeronautical Society’s Young Persons Conference ‘Next Generation Opportunities in Space’ to be held virtually on Friday 17 September and sponsored by Telespazio UK.

Last but by no means least, I wish to sincerely welcome David Edwards FRAeS as the new Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society, taking up the post on 20 September in place of Sir Brian Burridge who is stepping down. David clearly brings a lot of valuable and relevant experience not only as the former Chief Executive of the Air Charter Association but also as former Executive Vice President of Qatar Airways among other roles and has expressed his strong advocacy for both diversity, inclusion and the encouragement of our future generations to join the aerospace, aviation and space domain. I look forward to working with him and wish him fulfilment in his new role and success in delivery of the Society mission.

I also wish to sincerely thank Sir Brian for all he has done for the Society, both in the past and most recently as Chief Executive. Thanks to his particular dynamic, open and appropriate response to the challenges facing the Society during the pandemic, Sir Brian has carefully reconfigured and realigned the operation of the Society in a way that will provide us with a very strong base for the future going forward.

1 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lift-off-for-uk-spaceflight-as-regulations-passed

OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Sir Brian Burridge

- As summer airline travel reaches its peak, changes to Covid-19 restrictions have had a positive effect. Eurocontrol’s early August figures point to a plateau in customer numbers at 70% of 2019 levels. Predictably, the low-cost carriers have made most progress with mostly double-digit growth over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, in the US, the predicted growth has stalled as the Covid Delta variant takes increasing hold. On a brighter note, US airline JetBlue launched its London–New York service in mid-August using a long-range Airbus A321 amid much acclaim from the media: the shape of things to come perhaps, particularly once the A321XLR enters service.

- There was welcome news in the defence aerospace sector with Italy’s announcement of a €3bn investment in Tempest and the Eurofighter nations confirming a €300m capability enhancement package for Typhoon. This will include improved Meteor functionality, Brimstone integration, a harmonised approach to E-Scan radar and other integration enhancements. In announcing the Tempest deal, the Italian government was quick to point out the importance of their participation in a sixth-generation fighter programme. As the then Prime Minister Romano Prodi pointed-out at Farnborough in 2006: “Design and engineering is the life-blood of the Italian economy.”

- Meanwhile, the UK’s new space regulations came into force at the end of July making the Civil Aviation Authority the UK’s spaceflight regulator and providing, for the first time, the legal underpinning for space launches from UK soil. The President’s supportive comment was included in the government’s official press release. This legislation will see an expansion in career opportunities in space which will be highlighted in the Society’s 2021 Young Persons Conference, ‘Next Generation Opportunities in Space’. Topics from speakers within the first 10-15 years of their careers will include space debris, space law, aeromedicine and Earth observation. We are grateful to sponsors Telespazio: more details are at www.aerosociety.com/ypcconference.

- Other conferences are the 2021 European Rotorcraft Forum which will be held virtually from 7-9 September and which is a long-standing, key event for the rotorcraft community. With COP26 looming, we will host our annual climate change conference on 19-20 October. Entitled ‘Cutting Aviation’s Climate Change Impact’, we have a high calibre set of international speakers who will provide expert insights and constructive challenge on aviation’s route to net zero. Our thanks go to Airbus as lead sponsor and our events team can provide details of other sponsorship opportunities by which to raise your company’s profile in this important and topical area. For Corporate Partners, we have a briefing on 20 September by the CEO of NATS, Martin Rolfe, on how they worked through the complexity of Covid and the role of air navigation service providers in addressing climate change.

- Work on updating the Society’s documentation to align with the revised Engineering Council Standards has progressed throughout 2021 and the UK SPEC 4th edition registration documentation and guidance is now live on both the Society’s website and within the online application. In addition, we are training more than 20 new volunteer Professional Review Assessors. Meanwhile, the Membership Committee and staff have begun work to implement the Competency Handbook and new Membership Grade criteria ready for 2022.

WE ARE ALSO PLEASED TO SEE SO MANY CORPORATE PARTNER BOOKINGS COMING THROUGH FOR THIS YEAR’S CAREERS IN AEROSPACE & AVIATION LIVE

- We are also pleased to see so many Corporate Partner bookings coming through for this year’s Careers in Aerospace & Aviation LIVE, our flagship careers event on 3 November. Over 500 individual attendees have already signed-up, indicating that there is a recognition that careers in our sectors represent an exciting future. We are grateful to Boeing UK for its continued support for the event as part of their Project Altitude funding. This programme will also see the launch later in the Autumn of our new Falcon2 STEM challenge for schools. Here, we aim to provide hands-on STEM inspiration and learning to teachers and young people while also challenging perceptions around disability. The requirement will be to use inclusive engineering solutions to develop a fully accessible flight simulator designed by young people, for young people.

- This is my final Chief Executive’s Message before I hand over to David Edwards of which more on the next pages. While my three-year stint has flown by, it did not quite go to plan! Nevertheless, the Society has made some notable advances in exercising its influence as a learned society and in enhancing its reputation as a professional engineering institution, notably through achieving OFQUAL recognition. These and other achievements – not least in weathering the pandemic – owe much to the dedication of the staff, the sage advice from the Trustees and Council, and the unstinting efforts of our Boards, Committees, Divisions and Branches. Underpinning all of this is the vast cohort of volunteers who give freely of their time, wisdom and enthusiasm in support of the Society and our sectors. For all of that, I am personally very grateful.