The Time Britain Went to Space (and then gave up)

A crumbling Empire makes a last-ditch attempt to reach the stars.
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[@afgor1088]

inventing one of the best early rockets around using stolen knowledge then giving up because budget cuts is probably the most British thing to ever happen

[@mikedrop4421]

The British ability to spy or engineer things in sheds is legendary . Unfortunately so is the British ability to stop caring about something.

[@bigchap5794]

The newly unemployed scientists probably had to catch a replacement bus service home too.

[@M3dwin]

That's quality mate!!!

[@marveyzing1495]

i don't get it

[@afgor1088]

@@marveyzing1495 Britain is a Dumster fire of a nation that has a long proud history of stealing stuff, doing something amazing then giving up because of budget cuts

[@chocho6075]

What a shame they gave up, they could had traded space spices

[@houselemuellan8756]

The Spice Melange...

[@gadgetpotato1975]

this gave me spore flashbacks, damn

[@thanos6346]

Maybe they could’ve gotten Mars addicted to opium

[@WisamSafi1978]

He who controls Spice, controls the universe!

[@Blessingvr]

Sounds more dutch

[@thelegend8570]

The fact that they called the satellite "Prospero" is awesome and incredibly sad at the same time...

[@themightyeagle21]

Also very ironic, if they named it something else they probably still would have space agency lol

[@RADICALFLOAT95]

​@@themightyeagle21l actually agree with you

[@kittikorn6674]

practically the end of British empire

[@rodrigosilos6020]

I can now say the Prospero is now my favorite satellite

[@greedy9310]

agreed

[@JBILCO_ARTS]

Same

[@artspectrum2421]

Kinda agree

[@josharmstrong8813]

Being a British person and learning about this made me at least 20% more British and the fact they don't teach this in school is an absolute travesty Sure it's not as grandiose as the first man-made satellite in space all the first man in the moon or Yuri Gagarin. But it's our great little achievement And it's just nice little bit of history all brits should all be proud of

[@cubaj8723]

Just don’t let the Space Wolves pee on it…. or you know, set it on fire.

[@houselemuellan8756]

In an alternate world, this was the reason why the Galactic Empire speaks mainly English. *FOR THE GALACTIC BRITISH EMPIRE RULES THE STARS*

[@deisk2707]

Multiple suns never sets on the empire

[@ReinsofGaul5053]

The galaxies never sets on the british empire

[@houselemuellan8756]

@@ReinsofGaul5053 Sagittarius A never dawns in the British Empire

[@Ludwig_Perpenhente]

Ah, the timeline when Sheev Palpatine was British.

[@houselemuellan8756]

@@Ludwig_Perpenhente He is...

[@borisselbstadler3209]

the apathy of this country is absolutely depressing

[@PatchCornAdams723]

Yeeeeah, it is. And it's seen as a virtue.

[@writershard5065]

@Korsalath Britain died out as an empire after World War 2. Trying to recapture the past isn't gonna work. Everything dies with time. The UK has been a perfectly wonderful country to live in (except Brexit rocking the boat) despite its issues, and I think you guys will be fine. Sometimes it's okay to just enjoy life for what it is.

[@gaymermoment]

@Korsalath you technically never were an empire

[@gaymermoment]

@Korsalath no british king was known as emperor of the united KINGDOM

[@valkyrie941]

@@writershard5065 that would not be so bad if it wasn't the Americans who helped it fall

[@mikedrop4421]

How am I just discovering this channel now? You are doing great man and I hope the idiot we know as the algorithm wakes up and finds your channel

[@hyljix]

it did now :D

[@RedHeadForester]

It's happening. KZbin threw a video at me a couple of days ago and after watching a couple more I subscribed. It's underrated quality content.

[@V4nh4K3ttu]

@@RedHeadForester Certainly looks like it, his newest video got 5k watches in 1 hour. It is not much, but much more than before.

[@berthold64]

discovered this channel on goddamn 4chan(nel). I guess he posts and shills his channel there given how snarky this guy is

[@SovalyeNayi]

RIP British Space Programme

[@rameshraju4784]

*British space india company

[@desidev69]

Rip British

[@NozomuYume]

The British space program still exists, it just doesn't have launch capability. They can still design spacecraft but they need others to launch them. They designed their independent military communications satellite network called... Skynet. I'm not joking. While a lot of the projects are run in conjunction with the French and Germans via ESA/Airanespace/Airbus, they do maintain an independent capability in most matters other than launch services.

[@RealUlrichLeland]

@@NozomuYume There are rocket launch companies based in the UK but they are private and only launch small payloads. Most of the launch sites are small and in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland or the tip of Cornwall. But tbf that's more launch sites than any other European country unless you count French Guiana as being France which I guess it is in a de jure sense but not really lol

[@oomz1975]

Don't worry India just landed on the 'south side' of the moon.

[@currentcommentor8745]

Due to the Black arrow program being based on all those expensive military rockets was it was one of the cheapest orbital rocket programs in history from any nation. All 5 cost a similar amount to a single launch of a French rocket.

[@NullHand]

It was also 15 years behind the Russian and American "first Morse code capable satellite" stage. By '71, America was getting bored with playing golf on the moon....

[@michaelsoland3293]

@@NullHand America was driving electric cars on the moon, the Soviet Union was looking into making a space station in about a decade, meanwhile the UK had just figured out how to get a satellite to transmit back using morse code. The Uk's space program, possibly the best example of how much their empire was dying around them

[@haglasu1468]

​@@michaelsoland3293 Probably more of an example on how the UK was still able to do a space program although they really had different problems back then. This and the fact that they gave up then just shows how the UK viewed itself in the world as a small power. After all, the decision to end the program was a political one. A heroic last show of power.

[@panzersusmander3728]

@nullhand thats like saying, even though you started the race 4 minutes later you are in last place hahahahah!

[@favesongslist]

The national tragedy to be the first county to give up on launch capability with our own rocket as well as a British designed and built Satellite, What's more it was done incredibly cheaply, if it was rebuilt today it would still be one of the cheapest ways to get to orbit. But it was politics in my view that killed it, As Ted Heath was desperate for the UK to join the then EEC (pre runner to what is now the EU) He had to appease the French as they did not want the UK in the EEC and also they did not want competition with its own space plans :( That eventually became the Ariane.

[@mandalorian_guy]

2:08 That Werner Von Brown quote is just amazing.

[@thoticcusprime9309]

no

[@NullHand]

But he was right tho... Von Braun was the mathematical pragmatists' mathematical pragmatist. He probably had orbital elements computed in advance for every dump he took.

[@diollinebranderson6553]

@@thoticcusprime9309 yes. now fck off

[@nob2243]

Yep, von Braun took being a pragmatist, and a stickler to the rules, to the extreme. He treated the "workers" (or rather should I say prisoners) that built his first V2 rocket base back in Germany in a similar way, which somehow makes it even more terrifying.

[@seansands424]

We did not need him, in the end, our own government was our enemy

[@Daniel.Anugerah]

Why did the British never go to the moon? They realized the moon wouldn't fit in the British museum

[@DEV-rw7eu]

Nah because there no spice

[@gormauslander]

@@DEV-rw7eu for a country that conquered a lot of land for spices they sure do make a lot of food that tastes like dry oats stored in a cardboard box for 20 years in a damp basement

[@huxleyleigh4856]

Have you not seen dispicable me? They'd use a shrink ray!

[@nukedukem6]

gru coulda helped them

[@reeeec]

Nah, they couldn't grow tea

[@PhattyBolger]

Watching that satellite float through space to God save the Queen made me feel patriotic like Homer Simpson at the US Embassy in Australia crying at the machine that makes the toilet flush "the American way"

[@co2_os]

I felt patriotic and I've never even met a British person in my life lol. It's a strong imagery.

[@redblade8160]

PhattyBolger. What a simpleton you are!

[@yeeoof1995]

"yo this space thing is boring, let's go watch some guy in a police box fly around and fight salt and pepper shakers"

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Lol

[@assininecomment1630]

*That* is the clear eyed, rational, historically accurate summary that this video deserved.

[@williamdurland3383]

More like rubbish bins.

[@mrmoist9753]

"To think of these stars that you see overhead at night, these vast worlds which we can never reach. I would annex the planets if I could; I often think of that. It makes me sad to see them so clear and yet so far." - Cecil Rhodes

[@writershard5065]

@A. Bastian Wiik Yikes. Talk about hubris. Nobody wants any more independence days. I'm glad the Empire fell eventually.

[@accessthemainframe4475]

well if commercial space flight (like SpaceX) takes off, the UK won't need to have national launch capability to be customers. The first ships of the earthly British Empire were caravels built by Portugal after all.

[@TheZachary86]

Too bad UK will get Virgin ships

[@quisqueyanguy120]

Wrong, space technology is controlled by national governments, the US government can literally veto any launches for UK satellites if they require it.

[@heh2393]

@@TheZachary86 Virgin Galactic vs Chad SpaceX

[@therealvbw]

@@heh2393 SpaceX sucks

[@heh2393]

@@therealvbw Please explain your stand. And let's keep things civil and no personal barbs of any sort.

[@lordcharles9786]

I have actually met two people vaguely related to this program, one is my Grandfather who helps wind tunnel the Rockets, the other is an aged rocket scientist I met at a bus stop in Norfolk who was involved in the calculations they made for the rockets.

[@paddy196]

This is such an underated channel

[@kevinplayz7965]

They gave up the time when they realized they can't grew a tea there

[@oomz1975]

Thats when India thought mmmm.

[@doucettealexander98]

My grandfather passed away a few days before this video was uploaded. he lived in Canada most of his life but had duel citizenship so he could, in his words "Be born British and die British." The ending of that little probe sailing through space with god save the queen playing softly in the backround made me think of him and how he probably would've laughed his ass off at the jokes in your video but also be proud of his homeland for how much they achieved with how little they had.

[@bilusxoxo]

they had almost the whole world at one point so i wouldnt say they had little…

[@gujaratigaming8172]

They robbed the whole world for this to be achieved u bastards

[@spectre3954]

little?...bruv they looted my whole country...

[@davidmartinez6204]

In an alternate universe Britain went to Mars and great Britain became even greater

[@desidev69]

And now aliens from Mars are protesting for their freedom

[@thesauce1682]

And then mars get split into two and have civil wars because of border issue.

[@im_aleey]

@@thesauce1682 and we get the United States of Mars.

[@karolus8485]

the delusion is striking...

[@DeNihility]

Then they became... BRITANNIA ULTIMA. Their power spanned nearly 2/3 of the Galaxy, deeply influencing many of the extra-terrestrial cultures of the planets which flourished under their control. The once Great Britain who had ruled the waves of Earth, now reigned over the stars of the infinite beyond-- A once fading empire was now just a distant memory of the hardships they endured... Now, what was once a small island nation that dreamed of their former glory now sits upon their throne of stars. The countless billions, even trillions of their citizens had come from every corner of the galaxy, and remained prosperous under the proud and watchful eye of Her Majesty. -- Circa. 12,022 CE

[@casparvoncampenhausen5249]

6:12 huh, that sounds like an opportunity the British wouldn't miss out on.

[@benjaminlondon8308]

Regarding HTP(High Test Peroxide), this was not some revolutionary chemical that only the British used, both Sputnik and Explorer 1 (America's first Satellite) were launched using rockets that used peroxide powered turbopumps. In fact, almost all of the larger early rocket engines used HTP due to them being derived from V-2's which also used peroxide-powered turbopumps. However, the British were the only ones to use HTP as the primary oxidizer as far as I am aware. In general, Kerosene/HTP rockets tend to be easier to build and more reliable than conventional kerosene/oxygen rockets, but less efficient, so it is a trade-off.

[@aker1993]

Htp needs a catalyst in order to ignite and mixed with kerosene.

[@RRaquello]

Also, the smaller reaction control rockets on the Gemini & Apollo space crafts were powered by peroxide. These were just used for short bursts, so much different from powering a booster with the stuff.

[@soyey]

incredibly underrated channel, i watched about 5 of your videos and honestly thought you had more than a million judging by your video quality

[@accessthemainframe4475]

keep uploading BritMonkey your channel is great.

[@eldrago19]

"Von Braun ... didn't think the British could afford him" To quote Tom Lehrer: "Gather round while I sing you of Wehner Von Braun, A man who's allegiance us ruled by expedience."

[@olivercuenca4109]

And all those young widows in old London town, all owe their large pensions to Werner Bon Braun…

[@PanzerkampfwagenausfTschechosl]

@@olivercuenca4109 von Brain didn’t want his inventions to be used in war. But it was the only way to get funding for the rockets. Without him, we probably would’ve just started getting to the moon. But because of him, we are coming back for a second time.

[@zorktxandnand3774]

@@PanzerkampfwagenausfTschechosl But he knew they were going to be used for war. Him not wanting it, does not excuse him.

[@PanzerkampfwagenausfTschechosl]

@@zorktxandnand3774 yes, he did know. He chose to work for the Nazis because they were the only ones willing to fund him. Once again, like him or not, we would’ve barely made it to space without him. He did not want his work to be used on people. The thousands of deaths because of him, made von Braun deeply regret it. And after the war, there is evidence of him going into religion, not talking of the war, and all that. As shown in For All Mankind, when NASA wanted to make a base on the Moon that can be used for military. Von Braun responded, “No! I will not let my work be used for war again! Not this time!” And while it is a fictional show, it can be inferred that von Braun will probably say the same thing in that scenario. Yeah, yeah. Bombing s in London and all. I know. But if he was never in war, how would you think of home then?

[@RRaquello]

@@zorktxandnand3774 His country was at war. Whether you like the leader of the country or not, you still have to fight for your country, because your not fighting for the leader, you're fighting for the country. Von braun was a German. I don't fault him for fighting for Germany, and countries like my own (the US) or Britain, that were willing to go in partnership with Josef Stalin have no right to criticize those who fought for Hitler.

[@lostbutfreesoul]

As an Australian the cancelation of this plan hurts me to this day.... Imagine an Australian Space Program!

[@zhcultivator]

Indeed, I want to see Australian and New Zealander space programmes ;)

[@checker297]

@@zhcultivator I mean the australia has massive collaboration with NASA already. The only thing australia doesnt do is launch its own rockets, everything else in the space business australia is a key part of. I dont think it would be difficult, its just more that we currently dont need our own space resources strategically because we are aligned with the US, although I do think it is changing with commercial space companies now offering to launch satellites etc, so it is not hinged on the country actually developing rocket technology (which pretty much was a cover story for ICBM development lol)

[@gm2407]

To replace the 1970s space program a replacement service of Blake 7 was scheduled for the UK. Austrialia implemented their Farscape program in the 90s.

[@timor64]

@@zhcultivator There is a New Zealand space program - Rocket Lab.

[@alphabetaomega265]

Let’s get the gang (UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) back together and create the Space Commonwealth

[@MrPants1100]

I am proud to say that during my limited time in England I was able to see both of the remaining Black Arrow Rockets and even put my hand on the one which launched Prospero! It was pretty squished but still jolly good.

[@hart-of-gold]

WOOme-RA right sounds but stressed the opposite way. The village is named for the spear thrower and serves the largest weapon test range in the world.

[@tyler-qr5jn]

I've been to the museum when I was younger, I took a picture of it. Had no idea about its background, and I also grabbed a picture of a British astronaut suit.

[@calessom3168]

Wow, I did not know that there was a British Astronaut Suit, is it tweed or pinstriped. Gotta Google that and have a look, Thank you for that!

[@tyler-qr5jn]

@@calessom3168 you're welcome, If I could I'd upload the picture for you somewhere.

[@gaymermoment]

@@tyler-qr5jn you could use imgur and put the link

[@tyler-qr5jn]

@@gaymermoment doing that right now, thank you so much. Ill send the links shortly (link wouldn't send, will send it again tomorrow)

[@kiefac]

@@tyler-qr5jn Did u died

[@michaelimbesi2314]

Proud Yankee here. We didn’t capture German rocket scientists because we wanted them for anything. We captured them to make sure the Soviets couldn’t have them.

[@ahm_767]

I absolutely love you for using "2814 - Recovery" for the background music in the beginning omg! I thought I had another tab open but nope, it was in this video! Epic content mate.

[@IcedCat559]

Nah we didnt give up, we just handed it to richard hammond so he could send reliant Robin's to space

[@dalaillama4209]

wow, I am not even an English native speaker but that hurt me, how an empire that was able to spread around the world just gave up to spread to the rest of the universe. It's simple sad.

[@assininecomment1630]

How can you lament, what you never had and never needed?

[@zakuro8532]

@@assininecomment1630 It is as the nostalgia of something you never experienced

[@assininecomment1630]

Wow! I think we've just seen a badly coded bot, defend a badly coded bot, from a rational question. Nice work, @@zakuro8532! 🤖

[@henrya3530]

In 1960 a consortium of British companies approached the Government with a view to forming the British Space Development Company to develop a commercial satellite network. The Government rejected the idea because they believed it would be 20 years before the technology required for it would exist. It came as a bit of a surprise when the Americans announced COMSAT in 1963, resulting in Intelsat a large fleet of commercial satellites; the first of Intelsat's fleet, Intelsat 1 (Early Bird) was launched in April 1965. We could have had a British reusable SSTO by now but the Government declared the technology for HOTOL to be "Top Secret" and then axed the project due to a lack of commercial interest. It's kinda hard to get people to invest in something when you can't tell them anything about it... Yes, there's Sabre but it's not quite the same as HOTOL. Sabre is having to be developed without infringing HOTOL's patents and anything covered by the Official Secrets Act.

[@whmsft]

as an Anglophile full of ambition... i will revive the "British Space Programme" (i love space and my country..) well... well... prospero and black arrow (the so-called lipstick rocket) both are my favorites btw...

[@mikedrop4421]

I'm rooting for you!

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

You need to work on cryogenic rocket engines and Solid boosters.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Shoot for the stars! Go for it!

[@WanderlustZero]

British space rockets were fabulous!

[@aussieman4791]

"When the Australians still liked us." Hmmmm... Perhaps some did but others didn't

[@TheHacknor]

That's been Australia's stance for it's entire history a population split in an love/hate relationship

[@no-rn7sn]

Yeah its still like that today lol

[@RRaquello]

Before it was a space launching site for Britain, Woomera was the location of a communications hub for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini flights. And from what I know, the Americans and Australians got along very well. Some of the best space histories have been written by Australians.

[@thombran]

10:33 share a tear for the Empire, lads 😢

[@no-rn7sn]

As one of the countries that was in the empire, I did to 😢 God bless the Queen

[@boscobiggs3429]

I’m Canadian so technically I’m apart of the empire and I’ve gotta say god bless the queen. The empire founded us and implemented many great things.

[@assininecomment1630]

I was interested to see how far the space program advanced. I too am a lad of the British Empire. Despite both these things, I heartily offer *Fuck the Empire!*

[@Fantaiscool]

Dont tell him about all the war crimes and atrocities

[@WanderlustZero]

It's not dead, just resting :D

[@livethefuture2492]

When even France has a better space program than you, you know youve messed up big time!

[@Alice-7777]

Britcünts never launched a single satellite to this day..... Forget about moon and other planets.... They don't even have a space station😂😂😂🤣

[@oomz1975]

India has entered the chat 😂

[@CamFlies]

@@Alice-7777 why are you replying to so many comments with random illogical hate? There is one british satellite in space, thats it. whats your point? Most countries on earth don't have either haha

[@ACS2]

And nuclear sector. Both military and civilian.

[@SethWistful]

You're one of my new favorite channels, I have no idea how you produce so many high quality videos

[@noon8681]

Randomly found your channel and I’m loving it honestly, really funny and interesting stuff mate 👍

[@bobbyjeffsupremelordofcraz3532]

Something I haven't seen mentioned is that Blue Streak was also intended to be the first stage of the first orbital rocket made by Europe as a whole, aptly named Europa. IIRC Blue Streak always performed flawlessly in the test flights but there were issues with the other rocket stages -even the already proven French stage.

[@hazzman14]

Class video mate, went to the science museum in London a few months back and saw the Black Arrow there but didn't know the full history behind it until now

[@adzy826]

That one piece of the empire is still up there so that means…The sun never set down on the empire (or multiple)

[@gameb1te]

Sad... The only Country to give up after orbital success.

[@elite4702]

God, I wish we didn’t give up on this

[@hautboiz]

How can all your content be so concistently high quality? My new favorite channel on KZbin!

[@globe0147]

The “Land of hope and glory” really sold this video. Lol XD

[@matthewkirby6080]

I have seen a full real life V2 rocket at the RAF museum in Cosford in Shropshire, Midlands last year!

[@tired_boy]

2:12 based he hated the french

[@He1IoStuff]

this made me think of victorian british people colonising planets in space and I don't know how to feel

[@viquezug3936]

The ending gave me chills. I hate that the World is not driven to explore Space like it should.

[@sunnex474]

Ah yes, it had a chance of *accidentally* hitting France

[@krunal7433]

Maybe they realised there's wasn't much in space to loot and no Aliens to forcibly convert to Christianity 😂😂😂😂

[@alexanderdrude4265]

The latter was actually much more of a 🇪🇸 thing)))

[@Nugget11578]

High test peroxide was widely used by the germans, us, and soviets. The us and soviets mostly used it to spin up turbo pumps, and rcs thrusters. Germans used htp for the messerschmitt ME163 among other things.

[@PhenQuest]

Imagine losing in the space industry to private companies

[@HurricaneZerox]

As an Australian, hearing him saying Woomera like that was hilarious

[@informitas0117]

The satellite must be so lonely up there, it still hopes the Queen will visit one day.

[@jogzyg2036]

"What would be the point? There's no one to give it back to when we're done with it" - Al Murray on Britain going to the moon

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

Remember the British sci-fi comic strip JEFF HAWKE? That had British spaceships being launched from a base in Dartmoor!

[@saintburnsy2468]

It's the one place that the British went and thought, _"maybe not this time"_

[@SgtCandy]

Canada, after the Avro Arrow, Ram tank, and Ross rifle watching the British having their program cancelled in exchange for something an ally was using: "First time?"

[@NFSAndrei]

Man good job, you video's really get in the recomanded page, i think you will blow up , for example now when i am commenting you have 18.514 views and 1,4 likes, I really want to see in a month how much you will have just on this video!

[@Steve17509]

they probably wanted to colonise the moon 💀

[@krisstarring]

The British in space. "This is a distress call from the mining ship Red Dwarf!"

[@xxxtakaji-kaixxx9016]

Britain:I want to land tea on moon! Britain:I gave up to the tea land bc space is empty

[@oomz1975]

India entered the chat.

[@DoktorNFC]

bri'ish on the moon be like "bit nippy innit bruv?"

[@noaerrr]

finally, an actually funny bri’ish joke.

[@alexanderdrude4265]

Space emirialism was narrowly avoided😂 But in the end even kinda sad...((

[@hart-of-gold]

Another weird thing that happened during the Black Arrow program was the last uncontacted group of Australian Aboriginals was found during clearance of the drop area for a stage of test rocket.

[@MISTAKEWASMADE4live]

Bet they regretted it though now that they pay everything for them

[@assininecomment1630]

​How did you manage to cram so much stupidity, error and bigotry, into just a few words, @@MISTAKEWASMADE4live?

[@rektcoder9252]

Love your cheeky style of discourse

[@stargazer-elite]

They gave up because their eyes were too filled of tears because of how proud they were of their son for taking up the family business on planting their flag on rocks they planted their flag on the biggest rock.

[@rosetints4246]

Tbh i dont think brittan would have minded if they hit france

[@americanminotaur2518]

The current Artemis Space Program has NASA partnering with the space programs of Japan, Germany, Italy, Israel, Canada, and the European Space Agency, which the UK is a part of.❤

[@CreeperOnYourHouse]

The last shot should've been what they did; set up an 8 track with "God Save the Queen" looped on every single track, switching to the next track every loop for added redundancy.

[@juliane__]

10:07 France can't do it alone. They have no indigineous orbital stage. It would take a while to design their own viable upper stages.

[@VermillionPengu]

A universe where the british won the space race seems like such a Fallout-like concept.

[@howdydobuckeroo1204]

Space Colonies. It sounds so cool, doesn't it.

[@josharmstrong8813]

Sure Britan may be irrelevant by modern standards, our budget is pretty much out the window, and the days of old are long behind us, Britain is not a superpower anymore by any stretch of the imagination, but for a moment, just one moment a peice of britan sorred in the heavens, flying amongst the stars with all the other Greats, for just that one brief moment Britain was as great as the superpowers were. One hell of a last hurrah. and that should never be forgotten Rather poetic in a sense. "In the Twilight years of an ages old Empire it commits itself to one final act of expansion, the greatest of all, to the heavens themselves, was much trial tribulation and failure a final bit of luck enables our greatest Minds one final attempt and with much anticipation and uncertainty, they succeed and so in that final expansion ensures that no matter what happens in the world below in a small sort of way the sun shall never set on the British Empire" 8:30 legitimately cried a little bit with pride there, because we did a thing and it was pretty awesome

[@no-rn7sn]

Yessssssssssss

[@ANKET47]

What weed you smoke? India has the best space program after nasa

[@noaerrr]

It’s still the 5th most powerful nation, I wouldn’t really call that irrelevant.

[@oldpain7625]

I know a lot of British engineers work with NASA, so it's always been a mystery to me why the United Kingdom doesn't have more of a presence in space. It's the forefront of discovery. You'd think think they'd be all over it!

[@fuzzyspackage]

The Anglo saxons are under the america umbrella now, there's a joke about new zealands population that i dont remember clearly about if you goto the pentagon, you woll find americans canadians brits and aussies and also one nz guy.

[@averagejoe8358]

Two words, budget cuts.

[@landscapedetective4064]

Poor old Prospero. All it needs is a fresh cup of tea and it'll be fine.

[@calessom3168]

Yes!!! Go Prospero!!! What an epic achievement!!! So proud to be British!!!! We showed them Soviets and them Yanks how to get a rocket into space, Yeaayyyyy!!!!!

[@hayfin_1]

Can

[@ignacioalmiron7187]

You forgot Argentina and Brazil as countries who have independent orbital capabilities

[@viceralman8450]

Satellites? Or nazis that escaped there?

[@oomz1975]

India says 👋

[@loneprimate]

0:50 What, only Great Britain? Northern Ireland didn't go? Ah, what am I saying. They were probably afraid the rocket would get stuck in God's beard. :D

[@favesongslist]

So glad you did a video on the national tragedy to be the county to give up on launch capability with our own rocket as well as a British designed and built Satellite, What's more it was done incredibly cheaply, if it was rebuilt today it would still be one of the cheapest ways to get to orbit. But it was politics in my view that killed it, As Ted Heath was desperate for the UK to join the then EEC (pre runner to what is now the EU) He had to appease the French as they did not want the UK in the EEC and also they did not want competition with its own space plans :(

[@abbeyhall4624]

poor little Prospero.... aww, I feel so sorry for it, it tried but was fated to be a heap of space junk, well done GB, your the Tops lol

[@mariolis]

10:05 I always Include New Zeland in these lists Rocket lab may be a US company on paper ... but cmon , everyone who designed & operrate Electron is from New Zeland and every launch to date has taken place in New Zeland as well in my books , New Zeland became a space-faring nation in January 21st 2018 when a Rocket Lab Electron reached orbit successfully , after it launched from New Zeland soil (and no , Im not from New Zeland , Im actually Greek but I am a big fan of Rocket Lab)

[@guyh9992]

The Australian relationship with Britain was in decline due to the British undergoing one of their periodic reversals of foreign policy. Harold Wilson had announced the withdrawal from the Indo-Pacific under his East of Suez strategy and Harold MacMillan, Wilson and Heath had all applied to join the EEC. The British have, of course, recently undergone another reversal of foreign policy post-Brexit with reversal of east of Suez and attempts to return to the Indo-Pacific.

[@SuperflyGaming]

Well done lads we got the rocket up there far cheaper than anyone else. We're the best... Tea and reminisce about the empire for the next century? Spiffing idea... *cue God save the Queen*

[@oomz1975]

India says 👋

[@ForwardSynthesis]

We could have annexed the stars! Oh well.

[@mikerodent3164]

Moderately amusing. By 1971 the British had relinquished their empire with considerably better grace than the French, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Belgians, etc. ever did. The Americans never relinquished theirs, nor the Russians theirs. Many would argue that the French, with the CFA franc, never gave up theirs. But let's just invite Indians and others with giant chips on their shoulders about the English/UK to fail to grasp the self-deprecating humour here, as they always do.

[@bobbic3011]

Really wanted the story of how Britain colonised the sun

[@antoniomv9444]

That´s why aeroespace engineering is the best, even on the worst periods and on the worst situations, you will be employable.

[@AlexTenThousand]

IIRC, both David Bowie's Space Oddity and Elton John's Rocketman lampooned the British space program

[@dr4d1s]

4:20 That is very incorrect. High Test Perioxide was used in the German/Nazi rocket programs. They used it (along with sodium permanganate as a catalyst bed) to create the pressures needed to spin the turbo pumps for the V2's propellant and oxidizer tanks. There are some really cool videos on how the V2s turbo pumps and basket head injector setups worked. They are really easy to find through a quick search.

[@aslamstudio558]

8:30 man, that sorta bangs

[@picayuneambedo5929]

anyone wondering, the song at the start is 2814 the full album is great

[@easwaransanthakumar297]

It's better for Britain to focus on the economy rather than space. Simply don't try to imitate India.

[@viligerm6592]

They just quit because they realized they couldn't colonise anything out there

[@mabimabi212]

I like Prospero. It represents a lot of potential, that will never be realized. Just like me!

[@onlymorrow]

this channel is fucking awesome

[@carbonshere]

The fact that 99% of UK's deterioration throughout the cold war had been due to lack of intuition and budget cuts, despite the fact that great britain couldve gone so far, and the UK couldve stayed in its golden era late 1900s, making a concentrated powerhouse similar to many hyper-growing economies to this day, e.g: Asia in general