Sir Arthur Clarke Award 4638606 208594993 2008-04-27T20:11:29Z SmackBot 433328 Date the maintenance tags or general fixes {{otheruses4|1=the award for space achievement|2=the [[science fiction]] writing award|3=Arthur C. Clarke Award}} [[Image:ClarkeAwards2006.jpg|thumb|2006 Clarke Awards|100px|right|Sir Arthur Clarke Awards 2006]] The '''Sir Arthur Clarke Award''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[award]] given in recognition of notable contributions to [[Outer space|space]] exploration, particularly [[United Kingdom|British]] achievements. Founded in 2005, the awards are an annual event. They take place on the last day of the [[UK Space Conference]], held annually at [[Charterhouse School]]. Nominations for the awards are made by members of the public, with [[shortlist]]s drawn up by a panel of judges, who also choose the winner. The award was established with the permission of [[Arthur C. Clarke]], who chose a special award independently of the public nominations prior to his death on [[18 March]] [[2008]]. The award has the same proportions as the [[Tycho Magnetic Anomaly TMA-1|monolith]] featured in Clarke's [[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]], and is made of glass. It features the diagram Clarke drew in 1945 in order to demonstrate how [[satellite]]s can provide global communications around the [[Earth]] from [[geostationary orbit]], also called the [[Geostationary orbit|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".<ref>{{cite web |title = Latest Bang! News |publisher = Bang! |url=http://www.banguniverse.com/newsitems/view/73 |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> 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''.<ref name="guardian2005">{{cite news | title=Who's up for an Arthur? | last=Radford | first=Tim | publisher=[[The Guardian]] | date=[[24 March]] [[2005]] | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/mar/24/research.science}}</ref> The awards are held in great esteem by the international Space community:{{Quote|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 NSO|''http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NewsUpdate/index_93984.htm''}} {{Quote|This award is very nice... I thank all of you for this grand night and this grand award.|Ray Bradbury|''http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsapr07b.html''}} ==2008 Winners== The 2008 Awards dinner was held on [[29 March]] [[2008]]. Special guests were [[George Abbey]] and [[Joe Engle]].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}<!-- All of the date, the special guests, and the recipients of the awards need referencing --> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Category !! Recipient |- | Best Corporate/Team Achievement || [[Mars Express]] Team; Project Manager [[Rudi Schmidt]] |- | Best Individual Achievement || [[Ian Taylor (UK politician)|Ian Taylor MP]] |- | Best Student Achievement || [[Alison Gibbings]] |- | Best Space Reporting || [[British Interplanetary Society|"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]] |- | Best Presentation, TV & Radio || [[Martin Redfern]] and [[Heather Couper]]: "Britain's Space Race" |- | Best Presentation, Written || [[David Baker]]: ''Jane's Spaceflight Directory'' |- | Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space || [[Maggie Aderin]] |- | Lifetime Achievement || [[Martin Sweeting|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)''. |} ==2007 winners== The 2007 Awards dinner was held on [[14 April]] [[2007]].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}<!-- The date, recipients of the awards and the other nominees need referencing --> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Category !! Recipient |- | Best Corporate/Team Achievement || The [[Mars Exploration Rover]]s 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 Cockell]]: ''Space on Earth'' |- | Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space || [[David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville|Lord Sainsbury]] |- | Lifetime Achievement || [[Eric "Winkle" Brown]] |- | Special Award || [[Ray Bradbury]] |- | [[George Abbey]] award<ref>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.</ref> || The Rocket Men Team that made a [[Space Shuttle]] out of a [[Reliant Robin]] for the [[BBC]] TV series [[Top Gear (current format)|Top Gear]]<ref>{{cite web |title = Top Gear Production notes: Reliant Robin - space shuttle |publisher = [[BBC]] |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/show/production_notes/shuttle.shtml |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> |} Among the other nominees were [[Anousheh Ansari]], and the British-born [[astronaut]] [[Piers Sellers]]. ==2006 winners== The 2006 Awards dinner was held on [[8 April]] [[2006]].<ref>{{cite web |title = 2006 Sir Arthur Clarke Award Winners Announced |publisher = [[British National Space Centre]] | date = 12 April 2006 |url=http://www.bnsc.gov.uk/content.aspx?nid=6065 |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Category !! Recipient |- | Best Corporate/Team Achievement || The UK [[Huygens probe|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 (TV series)|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 (TV series)|Rocket Man]]''. ==2005 winners== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Category !! Recipient{{Fact|date=April 2008}}<!-- The recipients of the awards need referencing --> |- | Best Corporate Achievement || [[EADS#EADS Astrium|EADS Space]] |- | Best Individual Achievement || [[John Zarnecki]] |- | Best Student Achievement || [[Julia Tizard]] |- | Best Space Reporting || [[David Whitehouse]] |- | Achievement in Education || [[British 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. ==See also== *[[Arthur C. Clarke]] ==References== {{reflist|1}} ==External links== *[http://clarkeawards.org Official site] *[http://spaceconference.org.uk The UK Space Conference, host event for the awards] *[http://homepages.rya-online.net/markdunn/brohp06 Photographs from the 2006 Arthurs and BROHP conference] *[http://cepsar.open.ac.uk/News/Arthur%20awards%20update.htm 2005 Awards review] [[Category:Arthur C. Clarke]] [[Category:Science and engineering awards|Clarke]]