The first opportunity for British industry to fund space flight has arisen with the launch of Juno, the inaugural Anglo-Soviet space mission. But despite Juno’s complete dependence on private capital for funding, not a single company has yet come forward to associate themselves with the project. The flight, due to take place between March and June 1991, follows an agreement between the USSR space administration, Glavcosmos, and a UK company Antequera Ltd; the British National Space Centre is not involved in the project. The UK end of the Juno Mission will cost UKP16m, and be funded by the sale of facilities for scientific experiments, sponsorship, and the sale of publishing and broadcasting rights. London-based Moscow Norodny Bank is providing intial start-up costs and will raise private sector finance. The project is headed by John Magee-Brown of the bank, which also has an undisclosed stake in Antequera. Juno claims that the mission will benefit UK science as a whole, and that experimental results will not be reserved for sponsoring companies. Professor Heinz Wolff is chair of the selection board that will decide which experiments will be carried out. Most are likely to be in the fields of medicine and biology, but Wolff sees some computer-related research opportunities, such as the perfect crystals of Silicon and Gallium Arsenide grown under weightless conditions. The Soviets must clear all experiments. Juno will see the first Briton in space, and the company is now starting a selection procedure for the astronaut which will include a national advertising campaign. For any readers that fancy their chances, candidates must be aged 21 to 40, mentally and physically fit, have scientific knowledge, linguistic ability: a history of competitive sport preferred.
