 Rockets had seen enormous development for military purposes during the Second World War , and Massey saw their potential for studying the upper atmosphere . He became a major supporter of space science , and wrote a book on the subject , History of British Space Science ( 1984 ) . He was the chairman of the Committee on Space Research ( COSPAR ) , which was established by the International Council of Scientific Unions , from its founding in 1959 until 1978 , and also of the British National Committee for Space Research , its British national chapter . He was also the first Chairman of the European Space Sciences Committee , and helped found the European Space Research Organization and the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College , London . 
