BIS West Midlands presents a series of short film interviews showcasing some of the organisations based at the former Rocket Propulsion Establishment Westcott, and their current capabilities/activities.
Interviewer: Amelia Stanton of BIS West Midlands/BIS Scotland and Women In Space Scotland
Filming courtesy of Delta Vee Media
Interview 1: Introduction – Westcott: the Legacy Continues!
Start Time: 10:15
End Time: 10:30
Amelia Stanton presents a brief history of Westcott, listing its major achievements from the Lizzie to the Back Arrow and the launch of Prospero. She describes how it became a venture park, and how it is still a hub for space-based research and development organisations.
Nammo – Zoe Snelling, the head of programmes at Nammo, takes us on an engaging journey through her career until ultimately talking about the Mars Sample Return missions which Nammo are providing the engines for.
Interview 2
Start Time: 11:45
End Time: 12:00
Airborne Engineering – Managing Director James Macfarlane shows us the test rigs for an additively manufactured rocket engine, the ESA prototype hover Mars lander, and a rectangular engine designed to test a Reaction Engines heat exchanger.
Nammo – Lucy Stock, Programme Manager at Nammo, describes the installation of the UK Space Agency’s new National Space Propulsion Test Facility. Simulating space on Earth to test engines ready for use, such as the Mars Sample Return Mission. This is a game changer for UK propulsion.
Interview 3
Start Time: 15:15
End Time: 15:30
Westcott Innovation Centre – Laura González Llamazares shows us the additive manufacturing installation, and the test facilities they have to help UK firms reach market sooner.
European Astrotech – Heidi Smith a propulsion engineer, describes the site visits she has made to French Guiana and Florida, where they test propellants immediately prior to launch. They create their own mission patch for each trip, and Heidi proudly shows us her Falcon 9 mission patch from a recent launch trip.
Joining Instructions
- Register for the Films using the link below
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Please Note
The Films will be recorded (which may capture your name, picture, voice, or video) and made available via BIS social media or websites. You consent to this by registering for the Films. Your details will not be passed to any 3rd party organisation by BIS.
