§ 22. Mr. Croninasked the Minister of Aviation if he will make a statement on the European space vehicle which it is proposed to fire from the Woomera range in 1965, indicating the complete total cost of Blue Streak, which is the first stage of this vehicle, up to the present, the estimated total cost of the project from now until the firing in 1965, the United Kingdom's share of this estimated total, and the objects which are to be achieved by the project.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftAs to the cost of Blue Streak as a military project, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to Questions on 6th March, 1961. The cost of continuing its development as the first stage of a satellite launcher to the end of January, 1962, is approximately £6.1 million. The total cost of the proposed three stage launcher has been estimated at about £70 million of which the United Kingdom would pay some £26 million.
The objects of the project are to develop a heavy launcher capable of putting satellites into orbit for scientific and commercial purposes, to disseminate technical knowledge associated with work of this nature and by pooling scientific and economic resources to 925 permit Europe and Australia to play a full part in the peaceful exploitation of space.
§ Mr. CroninIs the Minister satisfied that these end-results represent a satisfactory termination of this gigantic expenditure? Could he be more specific about the actual benefits available to the country as a result of it?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftIf we did not do this in Europe, it would mean that we were ourselves quite incapable of sharing in any commercial possibilities in space. In the West a monopoly of this work, in the possibility of satellite communications and the rest, would be left with the United States of America. In addition, the study of this work has shown in America that there is a considerable "fall-out "—if I may use that term—of technical knowledge which is of immense benefit to engineering as a whole.
§ Mr. CroninWould not it be cheaper to hire or obtain these facilities from the United States instead of spending very large amounts of money ourselves?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftWe might have taken that defeatist attitude when the motor car was first invented and said that we would leave it to the Ford Motor Company. But we preferred to do a little engineering in this country.