Desmond King-Hele

Who is Desmond King-Hele?

Desmond George King-Hele is a British physicist and author. In 1957, together with Doreen Gilmour, and as part of the Guided Weapons department of Royal Aircraft Establishment, he wrote a report proposing the use of the Blue Streak missile and Black Knight as a satellite launcher. See also Blue Streak Satellite Launch Vehicle.

He was born in Seaford, Sussex, the son of Sidney G. and Bessie King-Hele and was educated at Epsom College and Trinity College, Cambridge.

He joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough in 1948 and stayed there until 1988, researching the earth's gravity field and upper atmosphere by analysis of satellite orbits. He was awarded the Eddington Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1971 for his work on the geophysical application of the study of the orbits of artificial satellites. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in March 1966.

He married Marie Newman in 1954; they had two daughters.

He is the author of A Tapestry of Orbits, Observing Earth Satellites, Satellites and Scientific Research, Theory of Satellite Orbits in an Atmosphere, Shelley: His Thought and Work, Doctor of Revolution and Erasmus Darwin: A Life of Unequalled Achievement. He is also the author of two books of poetry.