back to article UK Space Agency wants primary school kids to design a logo for first Brit launches

Good news for those in the UK with primary school-aged kids and wondering what to do when the next bout of home-schooling hits: design a logo for the first UK satellite launches. 2022 could be a big year for launching satellites from Blighty's shores as the first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off. Assuming the …

  1. tiggity Silver badge

    You can guarantee

    Someone will encourage a young kid to do a logo with this theme

    earth in the centre

    2 satellites opposite each other orbiting the earth

    a friendly hand coming out of each satellite ...

    1. John Robson Silver badge

      Re: You can guarantee

      I was think a planet and moon with a rocket taking off between them

      1. You aint sin me, roit
        Coat

        The Man in the Moon

        Aka Spacey McSpaceface.

        Mine's the one with the autonomous underwater vehicle in the pocket ->

      2. BrownishMonstr

        Re: You can guarantee

        Don't forget, lasers shooting from the front. Or maybe something else, that will fall off to the side, due to gravity, like milk.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: You can guarantee

        The giant dark brown cigar-shaped asteroid Oumuamua passing through the Rings of Uranus...

        Whaddya mean there's no rings round Uranus!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: You can guarantee

      Great (or perhaps twisted) minds think alike! :-D

      It'll be the 2012 Olympics logo competition all over again! (Sadly, the BBC, err, pulled the original entry from its site). And then when even the official logo doesn't seem to have a particularly happy ending for poor Lisa Simpson, well… If you were a particularly lazy kid, you could probably find a picture of Bezos's "New Shepard" rocket just at lift-off, with a couple of large round exhaust smoke vortexes either side of the base…

      1. Hooky

        Re: You can guarantee

        Naughty McAstronaut

    3. spold Silver badge

      Re: You can guarantee

      A circle with 50,000 dots around it.

  2. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
    Trollface

    "As for things going wrong," he went on, "well, there's always an element who'll want to subvert it."

    I wouldn't put it past No. 10 to be already making moves to rig the selection panel. No doubt any entry without a prominent Union Jack won't make the shortlist.

    1. Natalie Gritpants Jr

      Cornish flag FTW

      1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

        May be they Ginsters will stump up some cash to lob a Pasty up into space. And Boris will come for the photo opportunity of stuffing pasties into his cake hole

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Unless they do it as boris flagshagging, then it'll get through

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    cheap publicity stunt

    'they' also announced a ship-calling contents not long ago, and when they didn't like what 'the public' wanted, they named it what they wanted anyway, so what's the (...) point?

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: cheap publicity stunt

      It's really, and I can't emphasise this enough, cheap.

      For literally zero money the government is not only supporting SPACE RESEARCH but CHILDREN, EDUCATION, FLUFFY PUPPIES GLOBAL BRITAIN

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: cheap publicity stunt

      The NERC had always said they would have the final decision no matter what the poll result was.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: cheap publicity stunt

        so what was the point of the poll? Presumably a cheap publicity stunt as well? The point is that it just sent a message: we can let you play and pretend like we care what you think, but WE DECIDE THE WINNTER.

        btw, I didn't vote, but I did feel it was a slap in the face, like a PARENT telling a CHILD they can chose whether they want an ice-cream or a walk. And when the child decides to have an ice-cream, the parent turns round and says: OH, HOW LOVELY, BUT I'M AFRAID WE. ARE. GOING. FOR. A. WALK.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: cheap publicity stunt

          Well look what happened the last time you asked the public to choose - and then followed them.

          1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
            Mushroom

            Re: cheap publicity stunt

            Well look what happened the last time you asked the public to choose

            We ended up with Boris in No. 10

        2. graeme leggett Silver badge

          Re: cheap publicity stunt

          It proves people don't read the terms and conditions.

          1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

            Re: cheap publicity stunt

            Brexit benefits not actual size ?

  4. Vimes

    'Stop drawing rockets shooting lasers on my windows!!!'

    https://www.reddit.com/r/americandad/comments/crgjgo/jeff_jr_you_stop_drawing_rockets_shooting_lasers/

  5. Bartholomew
    Mushroom

    Why does "Black Arrow" sound like a great name for a rocket ?

    Would be cool if there was a reference to the British Black Arrow rocket and the British Prospero satellite (launched 1971-10-28 from Woomera, South Australia). Or if you wanted to go a bit older the very first British satellite Ariel 1 (launched 1962-04-26 from Cape Canaveral), which was damaged about 2 months later by US Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test (1962-07-09).

    1. Ken G Silver badge

      Re: Why does "Black Arrow" sound like a great name for a rocket ?

      Skyrora are basing their launchers on Black Arrow. They have four suborbital rockets at the moment, potentially giving Scotland a first strike capability.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Why does "Black Arrow" sound like a great name for a rocket ?

      To be fair, it also sounds like a brand of condoms

      1. Someone Else Silver badge

        Re: Why does "Black Arrow" sound like a great name for a rocket ?

        Have you seen Bezos's rocket recently?

  6. Chris G

    Dan Dare

    Standing outside of his ship with unkempt blond hair, should stand a fair chance of winning.

    1. MiguelC Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Dan Dare

      If it's up to Boris, I think he'll go for Peppa Pig on a rocket...

      1. Ken G Silver badge

        Re: Dan Dare

        Pigs? In Spaaaacceeeee?

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Dan Dare

          Back in t'day when I wor a young researcher (and dinosaurs roamed the Earth)

          There was a French European plan to launch a couple of French European astronauts in a Apollo capsule with wings SpacePlane on top of a French European rocket to demonstrate the superiority of French European technology.

          Suspicious that this was a French plot to engrandise France the Brits not only vetoed the program but introduced a law banning British involvement in any ESA manned mission

          Among the UK scientists the mission, officially Hermes, was known as "Frogs in Spaaaaaaace"

          1. Lars Silver badge
            Thumb Down

            Re: Dan Dare

            @Yet Another Anonymous coward

            You have some kind of, sadly fairly common, mental sickness regarding the French, sad.

            Yes, they beat Britain in aeronautics and they are still miles ahead, still second only to the USA.

            Get over it, the first flight across the channel was from France to Britain.

            As for the Hermes project.

            "When both Russia and ESA joined up with NASA to build the International Space Station, the immediate need for a European crew transport system disappeared as both Russia and the USA had existing capabilities that did not need expansion. Accordingly, ESA decided to abandon the Hermes project. "

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_(spacecraft)

            And indeed frogs reached space a long time ago.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcFiE9EeSOw

            When a man walks down the street constantly wanking publicly people in the end start to consider him a rather odd piece of shit.

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: Dan Dare

              Just pointing out that historically, launcher programs (prior to SpaceX) had precisely 2 roles.

              To hide/spread the cost of your ICBM program.

              To demonstrate your national/economic/cultural superiority over the "other".

              (And in the case of ISS - to give a funding to your defense companies now that WWIII wasn't on the cards and to stop the USSR's rocket scientists switching to Islam)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Dan Dare

        > If it's up to Boris, I think he'll go for Peppa Pig on a rocket...

        I thought getting Peppa Pig on your rocket was an essential qualification for Tory Prime Ministers?

      3. Sandstone
        Pint

        Re: Dan Dare

        You need something associated with bacon.

        1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

          Re: Dan Dare

          Plenty of experience in dealing with Pork in Westminster, not to mention telling porkies

  7. Jason Hindle

    The names for the rockets

    Should surely be put to a national vote!

  8. Nobby_uk

    No 11-14 category.

    Just needs an 11-14 age category. Then I'm sure Rodney (aka: Dave) would win.

  9. spold Silver badge

    ...through Llanbedr in Wales..

    That might not be a Baaaa-d choice - But wool they choose it?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: ...through Llanbedr in Wales..

      You should be thoroughly lambasted for saying that...

  10. Ken G Silver badge
    Trollface

    To quote Austin Powers

    "It looks like a giant..." "Johnson!"

  11. jollyboyspecial Silver badge

    How hard can it be

    I love the fact that they're working on a logo before they even have a launch site. What could possibly go wrong?

  12. Howard Sway Silver badge

    Cash has been lobbed Cornwall's way to support a horizontal launch by Virgin Orbit

    Yeah, I think someone ought to tell them that that's the wrong way to space, you need to go UP. If you launch a supersonic rocket westwards across the Atlantic, you might soon find several heading the other way in our direction, and they won't have happy kid-designed logos on the side either.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Cash has been lobbed Cornwall's way to support a horizontal launch by Virgin Orbit

      But if you launch eastwards from Cornwall you can hit Belgium

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Cash has been lobbed Cornwall's way to support a horizontal launch by Virgin Orbit

        or, God forbid, Brugge...

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Cash has been lobbed Cornwall's way to support a horizontal launch by Virgin Orbit

        "But if you launch eastwards from Cornwall you can hit Belgium"

        Or maybe, if we're really lucky, London. That could solve multiple problems at a stroke! Apologies to those of you who end up being collateral damage, however.

    2. Dr. G. Freeman

      Re: Cash has been lobbed Cornwall's way to support a horizontal launch by Virgin Orbit

      Given the science knowledge of the government, probably thinking it'll fly off the edge of the earth into space

    3. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Cash has been lobbed Cornwall's way to support a horizontal launch by Virgin Orbit

      In theory, a tangential launch and tragetory, keeping gravity at bay should get you into space.

      May take a bit longer...

  13. Mage Silver badge
    Coffee/keyboard

    first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

    Really?

    The UK had space launch ability about 60 years ago but the US persuaded them to give it up. The only country to give up space.

    Same applies to UK Nukes. USA persuaded them to give it up. Also UK is the only country to give up their nukes. All bought/rented from the USA for the last 60+ years.

    The UK, esp. Scotland is so far north that only transpolar and LEO is viable. There is a good reason why even the Russians and US use Europe's Space port in South America, near the Equator. Also Canada and other non-EU countries are ESA members. While the EU contributes, not all EU countries are in the ESA.

    Those folk in Surrey do great satellites, but likely they will move due to Brexit.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

      While the big metal tube with the fireworks in the bottom is rented from the Americans.

      The big bangy bit of spicy rocks physics package, is British, as are the boats

      1. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
        Mushroom

        Re: first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

        And we also gave the yanks money for the missile development/maintainance sites.

        It was only the fact us brits made a better H-bomb than the yanks did that led to them offering the co-operation in the first place (plus them later admitting that kicking us off the A-bomb programs after WW2 was particually dumb (but then a politician did that who did not have the security clearance to even know how much british tech was in the US bomb program did that)

        Anyway back to the biggest question of all

        If bozo johnson the clown enters , which age group do we put him in?

    2. Lars Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

      @Mage

      Nice it wasn't the French or the Russians though.

    3. Lars Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

      @Mage

      The main contributors to ESA are:

      France 26.9 %

      Germany 21.1 %

      Italy 13.7 %

      Britain 9.5 %

      Spain 5.1 %

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Space_Agency

      "The EU member states provide most of ESA's funding, and they are all either full ESA members or observers."

      "Some 20 per cent of the funds managed by ESA now originate from the supranational budget of the European Union. In recent years the ties between ESA and the European institutions have been reinforced by the increasing role that space plays in supporting Europe's social, political and economic policies. ".

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

        The Ariane launcher isn't ESA or Eu, it's a French company with 20% German and a bunch of minor partners. It started out a reused French ICBM vehicle and a reused French colony.

        1. Lars Silver badge
          Happy

          Re: first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

          For those interested you find the information in the Wikipedia.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianespace

          "Arianespace "is the marketing and sales organization for the European space industry and various component suppliers."

          The primary shareholders of Arianespace are its suppliers, in various European nations. Arianespace had 24 shareholders in 2008, 21 in 2014,and just 17 as of October 2018."

          "In 2015, Arianespace shareholding was restructured due to the creation of Airbus Safran Launchers (later renamed ArianeGroup), which is tasked with developing and manufacturing the Ariane 6 carrier rocket. Industrial groups Airbus and Safran pooled their shares along with the French government's CNES stake to form a partnership company holding just under 74% of Arianespace shares, while the remaining 26% is spread across suppliers in nine countries including further Airbus subsidiaries.".

          As Germany and France are the "biggest" countries in ESA and EU it's ESA and EU.

          Some countries understand that they are stronger when cooperating.

    4. Augie

      Re: first launchers gear up for a historic blast-off?

      Sorry but no, the missiles are from a shared pool between RN and USN, the warheads are UK.

  14. Mullah Bob

    Not that anyone cares...my contribution would be Angus Podgorny and the Blancmange engaging in tennis at Wimbledon.

  15. Spherical Cow Silver badge

    I hope they take inspiration from the logo for Australian Research & Space Exploration: https://spaceaustralia.com.au/

  16. Petalium

    Yellow stars in a circle on a blue background would be nice

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Kids these days

    Whatever happened to just designing one with an Apple for the Teacher to remind the youth of today the Challenge of getting 'nauts into Space?

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like