Later life Harrie Massey

the 40 telescope dome @ siding spring observatory, new south wales.

when massey took on physics department, of physicists, including bates, buckingham, burhop , robert boyd, moved him. mathematics department, still in temporary accommodation owing bomb damage during war. new building under construction, develop technical infrastructure, massey hired harry tomlinson, had worked him in british mission in berkeley. department acquired several accelerators, including 20 mev synchrotron atomic energy authority. dick jennings , franz heymann built 2 microtrons. under massey, physics department moved away researching physics of metals , liquids, , focused on particle physics , upper atmosphere physics. massey saw potential of computers. arranged andrew booth copy of purpose electronic computer, , recruited 2 programmers, joan lawson , jane wallace. when university of london established computing unit, buckingham left head it.

elected fellow of royal society of london in 1940, massey awarded hughes medal in 1955, , royal medal in 1958. member of council 1949 1951 , again 1959 1960, before serving physical secretary , vice-president 1969 1978. became member of department of scientific , industrial research s nuclear physics sub-committee in 1956. when national institute research in nuclear science founded in 1957, became 1 of initial members of governing board. became member of research grants committee in 1959, , chairman of council scientific policy 1965 1970. knighted services in 1960.

a black arrow launch vehicle in rocket park @ woomera, south australia, similar 1 launched satellite launched british launcher

rockets had seen enormous development military purposes during second world war, , massey saw potential studying upper atmosphere. became major supporter of space science, , wrote book on subject, history of british space science (1984). chairman of committee on space research (cospar), established international council of scientific unions, founding in 1959 until 1978, , of british national committee space research, british national chapter. first chairman of european space sciences committee, , helped found european space research organization , mullard space science laboratory @ university college, london.

space science gave massey excuse visit australia; made twenty trips. involved in testing of balloons upper atmosphere research @ university of melbourne s site in mildura, victoria. chairman of rocket subcommittee of royal society s gassiot committee, visited weapons research establishment near adelaide , woomera rocket range discuss collaboration on british skylark rocket, test fired woomera in 1957. sought develop uk space program in cooperation in space australia, united states , european countries. successful in building international cooperation, although black knight project cancelled in favour of black arrow, launched prospero, satellite launched british launch vehicle, woomera in 1971. involved in negotiations leading establishment of anglo-australian telescope @ siding spring mountain in new south wales.

massey received honorary doctorate heriot-watt university in 1975.

he united kingdom member , deputy chairman governing board 1975 1980, , chairman 1980 1983.