Radio Research Station

The Radio Research Station 1924 - August 31, 1979 at Ditton Park, Buckinghamshire, England was the UK government research laboratory which pioneered the regular observation of the ionosphere by ionosondes in continuous operation since September 20, 1932, and applied the ionosonde technology for the first developments which lead to British Chain Home radar system which was operational at the start of World War II.

In 1965 it was renamed the Radio and Space Research Station, to reflect its increasing role in space research. In 1974 it became the Appleton Laboratory, in honour of Sir Edward Victor Appleton, who had received the 1947 Nobel prize for his work on the ionosphere and who had long been associated with the Station's research. In 1979 the laboration merged with the Rutherford Laboratory to form the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and over the next three years moved from Ditton Park to Chilton, Oxfordshire.

[http://www.wdc.rl.ac.uk/wdcc1/news/closure_notice.html This announcement] from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory indicates that the PPARC has withdrawn funding for the ionosondes at Chilton and Port Stanley. As a result, these stations will close within the 3 months following the 30th June 2006, unless alternative funding is found.