| The Needles Battery
Rocket Site Remains of the short lived British space programme Needles Battery |
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| These remains extend along the South Facing
slope of the Needles Headland. Between 1955 and 1971 it was used as a test
site for the British Ballistic Missile and space programme. The Black night
rocket was tested here, part of the Blue steak nuclear missile project.
The platforms formed part of structures used to ground test the rockets,
but the launching was carried out in Australia. After the UK cancelled
the missile and obtain the American Polaris system instead the installation
was used to develop a rocket capable of launcing satellites.
1971 was the year that Britain launched its only satellite by a British built Rocket, the Black Knight. A rocket developed on these strange structures overlooking the Sea on the Isle of Wight. |