Sir Arthur Clarke Award
The Sir Arthur Clarke Award is a British award given in recognition of notable contributions to space exploration, particularly British achievements. It was devised by Dave Wright and Jerry Stone [1] and is independent of and separate from awards given by the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation. Founded in 2005, the awards are an annual event. They originally took place at the UK Space Conference. Formerly the British Rocketry Oral History Programme (BROHP) until it was renamed in 2008, this event was held annually at Charterhouse School from 1998 to 2010. In 2011 it was held at the University of Warwick.[1] Nominations for the awards are made by members of the public, with shortlists drawn up by a panel of judges, who also choose the winner. The award was established with the permission of Sir Arthur Clarke, who also chose a special award independently of the public nominations prior to his death on 18 March 2008.
The award has the same proportions (1:4:9) as the monolith featured in Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and is made of glass. It features the diagram Clarke drew in 1945 in order to demonstrate how satellites can provide global communications around the Earth from geostationary orbit, also called the Clarke Orbit. It was co-designed by Jerry Stone and Howard Berry.
Not all categories are awarded each year; 2008 was the first year in which nominations were shortlisted in the category of Best Film Presentation. An additional award was given in 2007 and 2008 that was named after and presented by George Abbey, the former director of the Johnson Space Center. It was awarded to those "whose space achievement made us laugh the most".[2]
The award ceremony is similar to the Oscars in that multiple awards are given in various categories at the same event, which is different from other awards given in the field. As a result the awards have been referred to as the Arthurs[3] and are known as the Space equivalent of the Oscars. The awards are held in high regard by the international Space community:
The Sir Arthur Clarke Awards are held in great esteem and it is a huge honour to have been nominated. It was a fantastic surprise when we heard the news and we are very flattered.—Dr Andy Newsam, Director of the National Schools' Observatory, Sir Arthur Clarke award for NSO, 28 March 2008.
This award is very nice... I thank all of you for this grand night and this grand award.—Ray Bradbury, Sir Patrick Moore and the Sky at Night win Sir Arthur Clarke Awards, Brian May, 19 April 2007.
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[edit] Yearly awards
[edit] 2012
As the UK Space Agency are only planning to run the space conference in alternate years, the 2012 awards were presented at a special event in the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords on 26 October 2012. The host was Lord Cobbold and the MC for the event was the impressionist Jon Culshaw.
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| International Award | Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director-General of the European Space Agency |
| Lifetime Achievement | Paul Money |
| Space Activity - Academic Study / Research | Rosetta Ptolemy Team |
| Space Activity - Industry | SSTL NigeriaSat 2 Team |
| Space Education - Outreach | Heather MacRae |
| Space Education - Student Achievement | Charlotte Lucking |
| Space Media | Space Boffins |
[edit] 2011
The 2011 award took place at the UK Space Conference at the University of Warwick in July 2011.[4][5][6]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Achievement in Space Education and Outrearch | Unlimited Theatre for 'Mission to Mars' |
| Achievement in Space Research | University of Strathclyde Advanced Space Concepts Lab |
| Achievement in Space Commerce | Clyde Space |
| Achievement in Space Media | Clive Horwood |
| Space Student Achievement | Chris Brunskill |
| International Space Achievement | David Thompson, Orbital Sciences Corporation |
| Exceptional Space Achievement | Professor David Southwood |
[edit] 2010
The award dinner was held on 27 March 2010 at the UK Space Conference at Charterhouse.[7]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| International Award | International Space University[8] |
| Inspiration Award | Anu Ojha[9] |
| Team of the year | Qinetiq[10] |
| Individual Achievement | Matt Griffin |
| Best Film/TV/Radio Presentation | James May on the Moon |
| Best Space Reporting | Jonathan Amos, BBC News Online |
| Education | Becky Parker |
| Entrepreneur | David Williams |
| Outreach | The EADS STEM Ambassadors |
| Student | Áron Kidsi |
[edit] 2009
The 2009 Awards dinner was held on 4 April 2009 at the UK Space conference.[11][12]
Inspiration Award || Lord Drayson
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Achievement in Education | Chris Welch, Kingston University[13] |
| Best Corporate/Team Achievement | Automated Transfer Vehicle Team, John Ellwood: ATV project manager[14] |
| Best Individual Achievement | Richard Garriott |
| Best Lifetime Achievement | Professor Fred Taylor |
| Best Space Reporting | BBC News Science Team, special citation for Paul Rincon |
| Best Student Achievement | Dr David Boyce |
| Best TV/Radio Presentation | BBC Four's The Satellite Story |
| Outreach award for the Public Promotion of Space | Alastair Scott |
| Space Entrepreneur | unreported |
[edit] 2008
The 2008 Awards dinner was held on 29 March 2008 at Charterhouse. Special guests were George Abbey and Joe Engle.[citation needed]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Best Corporate/Team Achievement | Mars Express Team; Project Manager Rudi Schmidt |
| Best Individual Achievement | Ian Taylor MP |
| Best Student Achievement | Alison Gibbings |
| Best Space Reporting | "Spaceflight" magazine; Editor Clive Simpson |
| Achievement in Education | Faulkes Telescope Project; director Paul Roche |
| Inspiration Award | Piers Sellers |
| Best Presentation, Film | In the Shadow of the Moon; Director David Sington & Christopher Riley |
| Best Presentation, TV & Radio | Martin Redfern and Heather Couper: "Britain's Space Race" |
| Best Presentation, Written | David A. Baker: Jane's Spaceflight Directory |
| Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space | Margaret Aderin-Pocock |
| Lifetime Achievement | Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd |
| George Abbey Award | A glass version of the award presented to two members of the Rocket Men team in replacement for the paper versions given the previous year (see 2007 Awards below/picture (right)). |
[edit] 2007
The 2007 Awards dinner was held on 14 April 2007 at the BROHP conference at Charterhouse.[15]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Best Corporate/Team Achievement | The Mars Exploration Rovers Team |
| Best Individual Achievement | Steve Squyres |
| Best Space Reporting | Robin Scagell |
| Achievement in Education | The International Space School Educational Trust |
| Inspiration Award | Sir Patrick Moore |
| Best Presentation, TV & Radio | The Sky At Night |
| Best Presentation, Written | Charles S. Cockell: Space on Earth |
| Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space | Lord Sainsbury |
| Lifetime Achievement | Eric "Winkle" Brown |
| Special Award | Ray Bradbury |
| George Abbey award[16] | The Rocket Men Team that made a Space Shuttle out of a Reliant Robin for the BBC TV series Top Gear[17] |
Among the other nominees were Anousheh Ansari, and the British-born astronaut Piers Sellers.
[edit] 2006
The 2006 Awards dinner was held on 8 April 2006 at the BROHP conference at Charterhouse.[18]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Best Corporate/Team Achievement | The UK Huygens Industry Team |
| Best Individual Achievement | David Parker |
| Best Student Achievement | Sabrina Pottinger |
| Achievement in Education | Alex Blackwood |
| Inspiration Award | Michael Foale |
| Best Presentation, TV & Radio | Space Race |
| Best Presentation, Written | Alan Lawrie: Saturn |
| Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space | The PPARC Communication Team |
| Lifetime Achievement | Reginald Turnill |
Among the other nominees were Sir Richard Branson, and the Robson Green drama television series Rocket Man.
[edit] 2005
Presented at the inaugural awards dinner at Charterhouse, Saturday 2 April 2005.[19]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Best Corporate Achievement | EADS Space |
| Best Individual Achievement | John Zarnecki |
| Best Student Achievement | Julia Tizard |
| Best Space Reporting | David Whitehouse |
| Achievement in Education | National Space Centre |
| Inspiration Award | George Scoon |
| Best Presentation, TV & Radio | Christopher Riley, producer: Space Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets |
| Best Presentation, Written | David A. Hardy and Patrick Moore: Futures—50 Years in Space |
| Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space | Colin Pillinger |
| Special Award | British Interplanetary Society |
Sir Arthur was also presented with a special award commemorating the 60th anniversary of his paper on global communication by satellite in the October 1945 edition of Wireless World. This award was accepted on behalf of Sir Arthur by his brother Fred.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Space Education Trust activities, retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ "Latest Bang! News". Bang!. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ Radford, Tim (24 March 2005). "Who's up for an Arthur?". The Guardian.
- ^ Nominees shortlisted for Sir Arthur Clarke Awards, UK Space Agency press release, 14 June 2011.
- ^ UK Space Conference 2011 Dinner and the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards 2011, intellect.uk, May 2011.
- ^ UK ESA astronaut Tim Peake presents Sir Arthur Clarke awards at UK Space Conference 2011, UK Space Agency press release, 5 July 2011.
- ^ UK Space Conference 2010 advertisement, UK Space.
- ^ ISU Receives the International Sir Arthur Clarke Award
- ^ In the news - Anu Ojha, Times Educational Supplement, 30 April 2010.
- ^ QinetiQ ion propulsion team recognised with Sir Arthur Clarke award for contribution to space exploration
- ^ BBC Science wins 'Arthur' awards, 6 April 2009.
- ^ Sir Arthur Clarke Nominations 2009, rocketeers.
- ^ Finding water on the moon has major implications for human space exploration, Science Daily, 25 September 2009.
- ^ cited in QinetiQ ion propulsion team recognised with Sir Arthur Clarke award for contribution to space exploration, press release concerning later 2010 winner
- ^ BROHP conference programme, 2007.
- ^ Following a presentation by the Rocket Men Team about their activities, the day before the awards ceremony, George Abbey felt that they deserved an award. As there was not enough time to have a glass award made and etched, a paper version was made.
- ^ "Top Gear Production notes: Reliant Robin - space shuttle". BBC. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ "2006 Sir Arthur Clarke Award Winners Announced". British National Space Centre. 12 April 2006. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ Individual Awards For CEPSAR Members At The Inaugural Sir Arthur Clarke Award, Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research, Open University, page retrieved 8 May 2011.
[edit] External links
- British Rocketry Oral History Programme
- Official site
- UK Space Conference, host event for the awards, for 2011.
- UK Space Conference, host event for the awards, years up to and including 2010.
- Photographs from the 2006 Arthurs and BROHP conference
- 2005 Awards review
