Wednesday 31st March at 7:30 BST
Dr James Carpenter (Exploration Science and Research Coordinator for the European Space Agency’s Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration):
“The Once and Future Moon”
A renaissance in lunar exploration is happening, with missions from around the world returning to the Moon to establish humanities first foothold beyond Earth and to learn about the history of the Earth and Solar System. In this presentation we will look at the role of the Moon in helping us to understand our cosmic history, in bringing us together as an international community and as the next step as we leave the cradle of humanity and move on to Mars. James Carpenter is Exploration Science and Research Coordinator for the European Space Agency’s Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration.
Tickets are £3 and available through Eventbrite here
Wednesday 7th April at 7:30 BST
James Blake (PhD Student at the University of Warwick):
“The Sticky Issue of Space Debris”
Since the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, thousands of satellites have followed suit. The Space Age has opened up a wealth of opportunities, but sadly a great deal of mess has accrued in our wake. Fragments of space debris routinely pose a threat to active satellites and, if left untamed, may soon render certain orbital regions unusable for future generations to come. In this talk, I will look to paint a relatively current picture of the debris environment and explore the challenges and merits of potential solutions to the problem that have been proposed in recent years. I will also present some of the ongoing efforts at the University of Warwick to detect, track and characterise artificial objects in space.
Tickets are £3 and available through Eventbrite here
Wednesday 21st April at 7:30 BST
Dr Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester):
“The Jovian Explorers: From Juno to JUICE”
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has been orbiting the gas giant since 2016, providing exquisite views of the atmosphere of the giant planet, and discovering how atmospheric circulation in the hidden layers deep below the clouds can influence the dramatic visual changes we see through our telescopes. Whilst Juno’s reconnaissance continues in the coming years, Europe is readying its first ambitious mission to Jupiter: the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), which will explore the planet and its icy satellites in the early 2030s. Launching in 2022, this solar-powered spacecraft is destined to become humankind’s first orbiter of an icy moon, Ganymede. This talk will reveal Juno’s latest discoveries, and set the scene for JUICE.
Tickets are £3 and available through Eventbrite here