66. The Air Pilots’ Cobham Lecture, April 27, 2022


 

I was invited to the Honourable Company of Air Pilots’ Cobham Lecture entitled Per Adua ad Astra: Human Spaceflight – the Triumphs, Challenges and Future, presented by Professor Anu Ojha OBE – Director of the UK National Space Academy. It was fascinating, and the conviction and knowledge of Professor Anu Ojha was impressive.


As one who has lived through the years since Yuri Gagarin’s flight in 1961, the changes have been impressive. It was salutary though to review the reasons for the deaths of 19 astronauts in the process. Some of them down to problems identified even before launch. It was also amazing that so much was achieved with very basic technology, including a lunar landing from a set of photographic images. However, longer journeys, for example a manned mission to Mars, are going to be difficult because of human’s physiological constraints.

It was encouraging to learn that the commitment by the US Administration to return to the moon mid-decade was still in place. My thanks go to the Master Air Pilot and Professor Ojha.

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