The Sir Arthur Clarke Award is a British award given annually since 2005 in recognition of notable contributions to space exploration, particularly British achievements. 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. Sir Arthur C. Clarke chose a special award independently of the public nominations.
Founded in 2005, the idea for the awards was proposed by Dave Wright to Jerry Stone, who then suggested they be named after Sir Arthur Clarke. Once permission was granted, Jerry Stone decided what the awards should look like, what categories should be included, and how they should be nominated and judged. The awards are presented by the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, although the selection is delegated to the British Interplanetary Society, with the exception of the International award, whose recipient is voted on by the Foundation [1]
Having obtained Sir Arthur's permission for the awards to bear his name, Jerry Stone decided that the awards should have the same proportions (1:4:9) as the monolith featured in Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and be made of glass, as the description on the book of 2001 describes 'a crystalline monolith'. This represents Clarke's science fiction work. The award 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. This represents Clarke's science work. It was co-designed by Howard Berry, who suggested the font and lettering style.
Initially the awards were presented at the UK Space Conference (the British Rocketry Oral History Programme until it was renamed in 2008) which was held annually at Charterhouse School, Surrey, from 1998 to 2010. The association with the conference continues but only in alternate years, as the conference has been bi-annual since 2011.
Not all categories are awarded each year; for example, 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] 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.
Due to COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom, in 2020-21 the Awards could not be run in 2020. Subsequent editions have all been presented the following year, both for consistency and to allow "a full calendar year for achievements to be completed and contributions made".[4]
The 2022 awards were conferred on 13 October 2023 at The Spine in Liverpool, at the conclusion of the Reinventing Space Conference and as part of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the society in Liverpool.[5]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Industry/Project Team | The HotSat-1 Project Team, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited |
| Industry/Project Individual | Daria ‘Dasha’ Filichkina, Co-Founder AstroAgency |
| Academic Study/Research Team | The UK InSight team, Imperial College London |
| Academic Study/Research Individual | Professor Giovanna Tinetti, University College London |
| Education and Outreach Team | The Space Careers UK Team |
| Education and Outreach Individual | David Evans |
| Student | Mohamed Sherif Fawzi |
| Media, broadcast and written, Team | The Aardman Animations’ Shaun the Sheep Team |
| Media, broadcast and written, Individual | Rob Coppinger, Editor BIS SpaceFlight Magazine |
| Lifetime Achievement | Professor John Zarnecki, Open University |
| International Achievement | The NASA Voyager Team |
The 2021 awards were presented at the Reinventing Space Conference on 30 November 2022 at Bristol Aerospace, in Bristol.[6]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team | The Astroscale ELSA-D Team |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | Professor Gillian Wright |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | [Not awarded] |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Team | The MajorTimSpace Team |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Individual | Heidi Thiemann |
| Space Achievement – Student | Antonio Duduianu |
| Space Achievement – Media, broadcast and written | The BBC’s Infinite Monkey Cage Team |
| Lifetime Achievement | Alan Bond |
| International Achievement | Miss Wally Funk |
The 2020 awards were presented at the Reinventing Space Conference Gala Dinner on Tuesday 29 June 2021, which was delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team | The Goonhilly-6 Deep Space Antenna project team |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | Dr. Alice Bunn, UK Space Agency |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | Prof. Cathryn Mitchell |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Team | The SunSpace Art team |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Individual | Dr. Sheila Kanani |
| Space Achievement – Student | Áine O’Brien |
| Space Achievement – Media, broadcast and written | Joanna Durrant |
| Lifetime Achievement | Jan Wörner and Prof. Richard Crowther |
| International Achievement | Omran Al Sharaf and the UAE Hope Team |
The 2019 awards were presented at the Reinventing Space Conference Gala Dinner on Thursday 14 November[8]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team | RemoveDEBRIS (Simon Fellowes & Prof. G. Aglietti, University of Surrey) |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | Dr. Jonathan McDowell |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | The Queen's University Belfast 'Oumuamua' Team (Prof. Alan Fitzsimmons) |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Team | Space Rocks (Alexander Milas, Twin V and Mark McCaughrean, ESA) |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Individual | Helen Schell |
| Space Achievement – Student | Heidi Thiemann |
| Space Achievement – Media, broadcast and written | Sue Nelson |
| Lifetime Achievement | Professor Ken Pounds, University of Leicester |
| International Achievement | Dr. Alan Stern and the NASA New Horizons team |
The 2018 awards were presented at a gala dinner at the 2018 Reinventing Space Conference at The Royal Aeronautical Society on Thursday 1 November 2018. The finalists were announced on the BIS website on 7 October.[9]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team | Oxford Space Systems |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | Magali Vaissière |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | The UK Cassini team |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Team | The ESERO-UK Space Ambassadors |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach Individual | Vix Southgate |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | Dave Honess |
| Space Achievement – Student | Robert Garner |
| Space Achievement – Media, broadcast and written | The BBC 2 ‘Astronauts – Do you have what it takes?’ Team |
| Lifetime Achievement | Richard Peckham |
| International Achievement | The SpaceX Falcon Team |
[10] The 2017 awards were presented at a gala dinner at the 2017 UK Space Conference, held at Manchester Central on Wednesday 31 May 2017.
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team (Large Projects) | Airbus Gaia Team |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team (Small Projects) | Oxford Nanopore Technologies Team |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | Alan Bond, Reaction Engines |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | UK Gaia Science Team |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach (Team) | Science Museum Cosmonauts Exhibition Team (Ian Blatchford, Doug Millard, Natalia Sidlina, and Alexandra Smirnova) |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach (Individual) | Kathie Bowden, UK Space Agency |
| Space Achievement – Student | CranSpace Mars Flyby Team |
| Space Achievement – Media, broadcast and written | Dallas Campbell, Science Television Presenter |
| Special Lifetime Space Achievement | Piers Sellers |
| Lifetime Space Achievement | Paul Flanagan, UKspace |
| International Achievement | Roy Gibson, First Director General, European Space Agency |
[11] The 2016 awards were presented at a gala dinner at the 2016 Reinventing Space Conference at The Royal Society on Thursday 27 October 2016. The event was sponsored by the UK Space Agency.
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Special Award for Individual Outreach | Tim Peake |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach | The UK Space Agency Principia Education Team |
| Space Achievement – Media: Broadcast and written | David Shukman, Science Editor, BBC News |
| Space Achievement – Education | Mike Grocott |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team | The SSTL Galileo Team |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | Dave Honess |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | Dr. Harry Ward and The LISA Pathfinder Team, University of Glasgow |
| Space Achievement – Student | Joseph Dudley, UKSEDS |
| Lifetime Achievement | Pat Norris |
| International Achievement | The Global VSAT Forum |
[12] The 2015 awards were presented at the UK Space Conference Dinner in St George's Hall, Liverpool on Tuesday 14 July 2015. They were sponsored by the UK Space Agency.
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team | Beagle 2 Team |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | William Marshall, Planet Labs, San Francisco |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | The Stardust Team, University Of Strathclyde |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach | The Rosetta/Philae Outreach Team |
| Space Achievement – Student | King's College London Msc Students |
| Space Achievement – Media, broadcast and written | Richard Hollingham, BBC Future |
| Lifetime Achievement | Prof. J L Culhane, Mullard Space |
| International Achievement | Dr. Burton Edelson |
[13] The Sir Arthur Clarke Awards 2014 were presented at an event at The Royal Aeronautical Society[14] on Wednesday 8 October 2014, by the Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, Dr. David Parker.
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Team | The ESA/Industry Rosetta Team (members below) |
| Space Achievement – Industry/Project Individual | John Ellwood – Ex ESA |
| Space Achievement – Academic Study/Research | Prof. Louise Harra, MSSL, UCL |
| Space Achievement – Education and Outreach | Dr. Lucie Green, Dept of Space & Climate Physics, MSSL, UCL |
| Space Achievement – Student | The Cranspace Team: Idriss Sisaid, Enrique Gardia Bourne, Edward Anastassacos |
| Space Achievement – Media, Broadcast and Written | Arrow Media – "Live from Space" series |
| Lifetime Achievement | Colin Pillinger, Open University |
| International Achievement | James Lovelock, Author and proposer of the Gaia hypothesis, UK |
The specific ESA/Industry Rosetta team members who received the "Space Achievement - Industry/Project Team" award:
[15] The 2013 awards were presented at the UK Space Conference at the Glasgow Science Centre, at a black tie dinner on 16 July hosted by Helen Keen. Tim Peake, the UK's ESA astronaut presented the awards to the recipients.
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Industry/Project Team Award | e2v (presented to Richard Gibbs) |
| Industry/Project Individual Award | Paul Flanagan of UK Space |
| Academic Study/Research Award | Herschel-SPIRE Team (presented to Tanya Lim) |
| Student Award | Rebecca Hayward of Hockerill Anglo European College |
| Education and Outreach Award | Stuart Eves |
| Media Award | Ben Gilliland of the Metro newspaper |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Professor Alan Wells, University of Leicester |
| International Award | Dr. Joseph N. Pelton |
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 Lücking |
| Space Media | Space Boffins |
The 2011 award took place at the UK Space Conference at the University of Warwick in July 2011.[16][17][18]
| 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 |
The award dinner was held on 27 March 2010 at the UK Space Conference at Charterhouse.[19]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| International Award | International Space University[20] |
| Inspiration Award | Anu Ojha[21] |
| Team of the year | Qinetiq[22] |
| 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 |
| Special Award | Roy Gibson, first Director-General of the European Space Agency |
The 2009 Awards dinner was held on 4 April 2009 at the UK Space conference.[23][24]
| Category | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Achievement in Education | Chris Welch, Kingston University[25] |
| Best Corporate/Team Achievement | Automated Transfer Vehicle Team, John Ellwood: ATV project manager[26] |
| 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 | Dan Walker, producer and director of BBC Four's The Satellite Story |
| Best Written Presentation | Red Moon Rising, by Matthew Brzezinski |
| Inspiration Award | Lord Drayson |
| Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space | The UK IAC2008 Team |
| Special Award | Alistair Scott |
The 2008 Awards dinner was held on 29 March 2008 at Charterhouse. Special guests were George Abbey and Joe Engle.
| 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 | Maggie Aderin-Pocock |
| Space Entrepreneur | Alan Bond |
| 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)). |
The 2007 Awards dinner was held on 14 April 2007 at the BROHP conference at Charterhouse.[27]
| 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[28] | The Rocket Men Team that made a Space Shuttle out of a Reliant Robin for the BBC TV series Top Gear[29] |
Among the other nominees were Anousheh Ansari, and the British-born astronaut Piers Sellers.
The 2006 Awards dinner was held on 8 April 2006 at the BROHP conference at Charterhouse.[30]
| 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.
Presented at the inaugural awards dinner at Charterhouse, Saturday 2 April 2005.[31]
| 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.