British astronauts could be in orbit by the middle of the next decade. An influential government advisory panel yesterday recommended an end to long-standing opposition to manned space flight.

A four-strong astronaut corps, two of whom would fly to the International Space Station, would be recruited from 2010 to prepare the way for participation in international expeditions to the Moon and Mars under a plan drawn up by a British National Space Centre (BNSC) working group.

Ministers are understood to be open-minded about backing the project, which would cost between £50 million and £75 million over five years, even though it would reverse a 40-year policy of refusing to fund crewed space missions.

Though £207 million of taxpayers’ money is spent on space each year, it all goes towards exploring the solar system with robotic probes and satellites. Successive governments, advised by scientists, have considered manned launches to be too risky and poor value for money.

However, Nasa’s ambitious plans for a permanent base on the Moon by 2024, followed eventually by flights to Mars, have convinced former sceptics that this needs to be reconsidered. The BNSC panel of 19 scientists and space industry leaders has now urged investment in astronauts, as well as robots, to take part in research projects such as a lunar telescope, and to inspire a generation of children to take up science and engineering. The report was published yesterday at the BA Festival of Science in York.

“We suggest flight opportunities for a couple of UK astronauts should be sought in the next decade,” said Frank Close, of Oxford University, who chaired the UK Space Exploration Working Group. “From the experience gained, we will be well placed to assess longer-term collaborations.

“The UK has had a great tradition in exploration over the centuries but it is now time for a new vision. For the first time the world’s space agencies are planning to work together on the human exploration of the Moon, Mars and perhaps asteroids, with accom-panying robotic missions to prepare the way. This is not science fiction — it is the real thing.”

If the recommendations are accepted by ministers, the Government would take a firm decision on recruiting and training an astronaut corps by 2010. The likelihood is that places would be bought on board US, Russian or Chinese launches.

David Williams, director-general of the BNSC, said that he had already discussed the report with Ian Pearson, the Science Minister, who had agreed that the policy needs to be recon-sidered. “They are prepared to evaluate whether a decision that’s held for 20 years is still the right one for Britain,” Dr Williams said.

The BNSC co-ordinates British space policy, and its endorsement of the document would be the first time that an official advisory body has backed manned space flight.

Britain’s lack of astronauts is unusual among major industrial countries. The US, Russia and China have their own manned space programmes, while France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan, Israel and Brazil have all paid for astronauts to join flights arranged by other countries.

Three British-born astronauts — Michael Foale, Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick — have flown in space, but all had to become American citizens to qualify. Only Helen Sharman, who flew to the Mir space station in 1991, has gone into space under the EU flag, and her trip was funded privately.

Britain is the biggest funder of the European Space Agency’s Aurora exploration strategy to Mars, but it has withdrawn from the parts that will involve human space flight. The Government has also refused to participate in the International Space Station. Ministers have recently softened their opposition to manned space flight, indicating that they now have an open mind. Malcolm Wicks, the previous Science Minister, told The Times in January that human exploration of the Moon and Mars would be “this millennium’s great adventure”, and that Britain needed to “think through” whether to get involved.

Monica Grady, of the Open University, who chaired the panel’s science sub-committee, said that manned missions to the Moon and Mars could shed light on the Earth’s origins and the existence of extraterrestrial life, and Britain should be in on the act.

Keith Mason, chief executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, one of the partners in BNSC, said that while flights to the International Space Station would not accomplish great feats of science, they would be critical if Britain was to be involved in more exciting future research, such as lunar exploration.

Professor Close added that the potential cost would be small in the context of public spending. “If we do everything in the report, the total cost would mean each of us paying a halfpenny a day,” he said. “In football terms, it’s the cost of a couple of decent international forwards.”

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