Admittedly, this is – excuse the pun – “out there”. It’s not the first thing on people’s minds when they think of Welsh independence, or even the present economy. The powers and freedom independence bring shouldn’t be stuck in a box of being exclusively about the economy, culture or social justice.
“Regulation of outer space activities” is one of the miscellaneous reserved matters in the Wales Act 2017. It’s yet one more “minor” area Wales would take responsibility for upon independence. There are opportunities here – independence or not – and events the other side of the Atlantic are making it possible.
Before going into specifics, it’s worth reflecting on the role the Welsh people have played in space science and space exploration down the years. It’s safe to say we’ve done well compared to our relative size, and it’s one area we should make more of a song and dance about.
In terms of producing astronomers and cosmologists, Wales has always punched above its weight.The Welsh Government’s former Chief Scientific Adviser, Prof. John Harries, was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2011 “for improving knowledge of Earth’s atmosphere and climate system”.
Former Plaid Cymru chair and AM for South Wales East – sadly no longer with us – Prof. Phil Williams was a leading solar physicist. Prof. Geraint Lewis, from Crynant, is one of the world’s leading cosmologists. Perhaps the most famous Welsh scientist currently is Swansea University alumnus, Aberdare’s Dr Lyn Evans – project leader at CERN’s Large Hadron Collidor.
In terms of astronauts – or cymronauts – Dr. Dafydd Williams, a second-generation Canadian whose father was from Bargoed, Caerphilly, became the first person of Welsh decent into space in 1998 aboard the (subsequently ill-fated) Space Shuttle Colombia. His second mission, in 2007, resulted in a 12 day stay on the International Space Station where he performed a “spacewalk”. Another Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield, has Welsh links in his extended family, famously taking this photo.
Long before that, Cardiff-born and educated Dr. John Llewellyn underwent astronaut training with NASA, but dropped out in the late-1960s. Had he completed training, there could’ve been an outside chance he would’ve participated in the Apollo Moon landings in some way, or at the very least the early Space Shuttle Missions. He died in July 2013 aged 80.
Cardiff University’s School of Physics and Astronomy is one of the UK’s leading research centres for studying galaxy and star formation, as well as the design of astronomical instrumentation, including a large teaching telescope and observatory. The Spaceguard Centre – based in Powys – monitors threatening near-earth objects such as asteroids. This could become an important part of any global monitoring system in the future.
