The uk's decision to shun human spaceflight was a mistake that needs to be changed, says Europe's International Space Station programme chief. But with Nasa on the verge of ending its shuttle programme and the Russian Soyuz capsules overbooked, it will not be easy to reverse course, warns Alan Thirkettle, a Brit who left the country to head European Space Agency (Esa) projects. "I think it's a fundamental mistake," Thirkettle said in an interview with the BBC News website. "They've totally blown it." He was speaking in Florida where preparations are underway for the launch of Esa's Columbus module. The laboratory is scheduled to be flown to the International Space Station (ISS) in December. Thirkettle says the UK decided in the early 1980s to only contribute to space programmes that were of immediate financial benefit to industry, such as communication satellites - but believes this was short-sighted. It had left Britain inexperienced in technologies of long-term benefit, such as life support systems, which would be useful in dozens of Earth-based applications as well as for space travel, he said. Long queue: The UK may be warming to the idea of joining the rest of the world in space. Last month, the government said it would review studies assessing the benefits of human space activities and could reach a decision next year. "Human beings are going to explore and we can't be left behind," Thirkettle said. While it may be too late for the UK to build an astronaut corps in time to take advantage of programmes aboard the space station, the US is leading an effort to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020 and prepare for even longer duration missions to Mars and other bodies in the Solar System.

The UK could build for these bold ventures. "The UK really has no idea what's involved in human spaceflight," said Thirkettle. "They think they can fly an astronaut for 10 days (on the space station) and that they're experienced.

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How dense. Why the hell would they "shun" human spaceflight???

It was a political decision made way back in the Thatcher days (the early '80s). Her government felt that there was more economic sense in concentrating on what they saw as the profitable space industries of the future. Hence British space interests were concentrated on satellite communications and micro-satellites (areas in which the UK continues to be amongst the World leaders). Hence the UK withdrew from the European Space Agencies manned programme and also refused to take part in the Ariane 5 launcher project (having contributed [sarcasm]a massive[/sarcasm] 2% of the finance for the Ariane 1 - 4 launchers.

From a short term and purely economic point of view it probably made sense at the time. The UK was a nation suffering economic problems and huge unemployment. It was difficult for a Government at that time to comit to expensive programmes which did not seem to offer a direct economic return.

It was a policy I never agreed with, I always thought it short sighted. The UK has a proud history of invention, exploration and discovery. This decision seemed to me to ignore both the future and the past of the UK simultaneously.

The decision of the Thatcher Government has stayed in place through the governments of the next two Prime Ministers (Major and Blair). Now, under Brown, the UK's participation in manned spaceflight is being re-evaluated. I hope the government accepts the opinion of a committee which has recommended the reversal of this policy. Hopefully very soon UK astronauts will be selected and take their rightful place in the ESA astronaut corps.

Britain joining in with manned spaceflight would come at a very opportune time. Russia is looking to replace it's Soyuz spacecraft with a new vehicle. It is too do this in conjunction with the European Space Agency, giving western Europe the ability to launch it's own astronauts for the first time. The ultimate goal of this cooperative programme is to land Russian and ESA astronauts on the Moon.

I may yet get to see one of my country men set foot on another world.

Thanks for that insight, I guess I didn't consider that maybe that was just a short-sighted decision.