Oral history of British science

King-Hele, Desmond (Part 5 of 21). An Oral History of British Science.

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:20:10

  • Shelf mark

    C1379/13

  • Subjects

    Atmospheric Science

  • Recording date

    2010-04-13

  • Recording locations

    Farnham, Surrey

  • Interviewees

    King-Hele, Desmond, 1927- (speaker, male)

  • Interviewers

    Merchant, Paul (speaker, male)

  • Abstract

    Part 5: DKH continues to read prepared account of work at RAE until 1960, interest in poetry, story of reading poems to sisters Pamela and Valerie late 1940s and early 50s, sisters careers, marriage in 1954 to Marie Newman [MN] (met in Seaford Tennis Club), wife’s occupation, living arrangements with wife including 3 Tor Road, Farnham from 1956, birth of daughters 1957 and 1959, commute to RAE, bringing of work home on Sputnik, Shelley book finished 1957, story of publishing by Macmillan Publishers: ‘Shelley: His Thought and Work’ (1960), invitation to write ‘Satellites and Scientific Research’ [SSR] (1960), success of various editions of both books, [09:09] story of visit with DW to RGO, ‘destruction’ of RAE and RGO by MT in 1980s, description of Sputnik 3 [S3] launched 1958, prediction sheets and transparent track diagrams posted to observers, transfer prediction service to World Data Centre for satellites, 1959 at Radio Research Station [RRS], Slough, relations with RRS over following 21 years, production of ‘RAE Table of Satellites’ from 1958 by DW, method of visual observation by volunteers, own visual observations from 1958, recruitment of Graham Cook [GC], development of theory of orbital effects of upper atmosphere with DW, GC between 1958 and 87, published in Proceedings of Royal Society, relations with American researchers, 1959 ‘Nature’ papers suggesting streams of solar particles caused 28 day periodicity in upper atmosphere density, international space conferences from 1959, award of Bronze Medal of Royal Aeronautical Society, playing of tennis in RAE club.

  • Description

    Life story interview with physicist Dr Desmond King-Hele

  • Related transcripts

    Desmond King-Hele interviewed by Paul Merchant: full transcript of the interview

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King-Hele, Desmond (Part 5 of 21). An Oral History of British Science.

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