Programme


You'll get your badge and programme when you arrive. If you're late, it's not a problem, but you must register at reception before attending any talks.

You can find an online copy of the Conference Programme booklet here.

Timings

Saturday

StartStream 1 (LT1)Stream 2 (LT2)
08:30Registration
09:00Welcome and Opening: Antonio Duduianu + Paul Bate
09:30Sponsor Talk: Benchmark Space SystemsAirbus Presentation Competition
David Gaudin & Michael Skreta
09:40Introduction into ISS Operations
Maria Grulich
10:10Sponsor Talk: Skyrora
10:40Break (sponsored by IOP)
10:55Sponsor Talk: Bright AscensionSponsor Talk: GMV
11:05Spaceports Panel
Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie
Space Microbes: how the smallest organisms help us exploring space
Dr Rosa Santomartino
11:35Sponsor Talk: HE Space
11:45Sponsor Talk: CGI
12:00Shaping Sustainability Beyond Earth
Rory Holmes
Asclepios - Analog Space Mission
Veronica Orlandi & Loïc Lerville-Rouyer
12:30Lunch (sponsored by Bryce Tech)
13:00
13:30Live at the Launchpad - A look inside the TV world of broadcasting rocket launches from the Giuana Space Centre
Katy Haswell
14:00
14:35Spaceflight Stories
Chris Riley
Sponsor Talk: Inmarsat
15:00Adventures of an interplanetary architect
Xavier De Kestelier
15:35Break
15:50Sponsor Talk: Space ForgeSponsor Talk: UKSA
16:00Space Data Panel
Ken Gordon, Zaina Rahman, Guillaume Tanier, Andrew Fournet & Jacob Geer
Slavery from Space: Investigating modern slavery and its environmental impacts using satellite data
Dr Bethany Jackson
16:30How to talk about rocks and influence people
Dr Anjana Khatwa
17:00UKSEDS Awards
17:30Drinks Reception (sponsored by First Steps Legal)
18:30Social

Sunday

StartStream 1 (LT1)Stream 2 (LT2)
09:30Registration
10:00Leadership 101
Matt Davies
10:30The James Webb Space Telescope – from first light to new planets
Mark McCaughrean
Observing the Sun from Space
Dr Stephanie Yardley
11:00Space and Defence: Security and Strategy in Orbit
Ali Stickings
11:35Break
11:50STEAM Panel
Richard Hollingham, Marta Zawadzka, Finn Strivens & Anna Talvi
Sponsor Talk: Thales Alenia Space
12:15UKSEDS Competitions Talk
12:30SpaceCareers.uk Talk
12:40SpaceProjects.uk: Matching Students and Industry
Jacob Smith
12:50Unearthing Futures: Imagining Possible Futures of Lunar Mining
Arts Workshop
How to Succeed in STEM Career with a focus in Space
Dr Detina Zalli
13:20Democratising Space, We are Space Hero.
Deborah Sass
13:50Lunch (Sponsored by Reaction Engines)
14:20
14:30Take Charge of Your Time and Reduce Burnout - Workshop
Dr Rosie Doyle
16:00UKSEDS Annual General Meeting

Speakers

Introduction into ISS Operations

Maria Grulich | DLR - German Aerospace Center

@maria_grulichMaria Grulich

Since over 20 years we have astronauts constantly surounding us in space. International collaboration is the key in ISS operation. This lecture will give you a basic overview how we are performing science in space with focus on European payloads and the European Columbus module and how to handle uncertainties in space.

Maria grew up in Hanover, Germany and graduated with an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering in 2016 from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. She spent one semester at ISAE SUPAERO, in France and wrote her master’s thesis at the Florida Institute of Technology in the USA. After her studies she worked two years for the European Space Agency (ESA) in ESTEC in the Netherlands as a Young Graduate Trainee. Currently she is working at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne, Germany as an ISS payload operations engineer for the BIOLAB rack, inside the European Columbus module, and MSL, an ESA payload inside a NASA rack of the destiny module (U.S. lab). There her tasks are to prepare, test and be on console for the onboard execution of new experiments such as the recent CYTOSKELETON experiment to support the astronauts. Part of her work is to support new biological experiments from the operations point of view and to be on console as part of the Flight Control team for maintenance and experiment operations of BIOLAB. For MSL she is working closely with the NASA counterparts to perform material science in space.


Space Microbes: how the smallest organisms help us exploring space

Dr Rosa Santomartino | UK Centre for Astrobiology (UKCA), University of Edinburgh (UK)

@RosaBiorosaRosa Santomartino

Microorganisms are everywhere on Earth's biosphere, from extremely hot volcanic springs to the human body. These tiny fellows will necessarily follow us as we explore space. Indeed, they will be crucial to our survival beyond Earth, as they play many important roles here. We will explore possible roles of microorganisms in space, with particular mention to space biomining. I will bring as an example my current research, including two experiments performed onboard the International Space Station. This research allowed us to learn more on how microorganisms could support humans in the establishment of space settlements, how we could keep the process sustainable, and how to apply this knowledge to terrestrial applications.

Dr Rosa Santomartino is a researcher in Space Microbiology and Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh (UK). She studies how microbes reacts and behave in space conditions, and how to use this knowledge to support human space exploration and its sustainability. During her research, she performed two biology experiments onboard the International Space Station: BioRock in 2019 and BioAsteroid in 2020/2021. The focus of her future research will be on waste recycling in space. During her research, she worked at NASA, Stanford University (California, US), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (France), "Sapienza" University of Rome (Italy) and UNAM (Mexico). She currently collaborates with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).


Spaceports Panel

Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie

Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie Dr Matjaz Vidmar, John Parffett, Mark Roberts, John Whalley, Ben Jarvis, Vicky Montag & Peter Guthrie










The addition of Launch Sites and Spaceports to the UK will bring with it new career paths, innovative technologies, and a revitalised UK space industry. It is a very exciting time, especially for students and graduates seeking opportunities within this sector. This panel brings together the industry experts to discuss what the construction of UK Spaceports mean for the future of the space sector, and the challenges, opportunities and environmental impacts that come with them, along with some key tips about how you can get involved.

Dr Matjaz Vidmar is Lecturer in Engineering Management at the University of Edinburgh. His background is in Physics and Astronomy (BSc Hon), Science and Technology in Society (MSc) and he holds PhD in Science and Technology Studies on organisational learning and innovation processes within high-tech domains focusing on New Space industry.
His research is examining new product development, intermediation, innovation networks, entrepreneurship and futures design. He is working in particular with the satellite and space data sectors and artificial intelligence.

John Paffett is managing director of KISPE, a specialist project engineering, system design and implementation company working in the space, telecommunications and electronics industries. He is also the founder of Applied Space Solutions Limited a company focussed on the provision of space related analytics, applications and services, business partner of US specialist training company Teaching Science and Technologies Inc, and Commercial Director of Spaceport Cornwall.
An advocate for driving the sustainable use and application of space, he has proven engineering, management, strategic, business and business development skills, with a track record of working with international space industry partners in securing new business opportunities and delivering complex projects.

Mark Roberts is the Defence and Security lead for RHEA Group in the UK, and the Project Director for Spaceport 1, developing a vertical launch capability in the Outer Hebrides. Before moving into the commercial world, Mark was in the Royal Air Force, where he was an operational pilot and commanded both 12 Squadron and RAF Lossiemouth. Mark was Director of the Air Staff in MoD (2007-2010) with Space and Cyber Policy in his portfolio, and Head of Capability Deep Target Attack, with responsibility for Combat Air, Complex Weapons, Land Engagement and elements of the Queen Elizabeth class carrier programme.

John Whalley is the CEO of Aerospace Wales and co-chair of Space Wales Leadership Group. 50 years in and around the aerospace, aviation and space sectors. 20 years as an executive/divisional director with British Aerospace/BAE Systems. In partnership with Welsh Government, established Aerospace Wales Forum, twenty years ago as the representative body for aerospace, aviation, defence and space in Wales. Established and co-chairs the Space Wales Leadership Group and is co-author of "Wales - a sustainable space nation". Working closely with a range of partners including Welsh Government, Snowdonia Aerospace, Jacobs, Spaceflight Academy, Space Forge, B2Space and others to develop and implement the business strategy for Spaceport Snowdonia.

Ben has been involved in rocket launch for over thirty years as an amateur, an educator and a professional. Having launched over one thousand six hundred of his own rockets over his career Ben is now working as Launch Campaign Manager for the SaxaVord UK Spaceport in the Shetland Islands and aspires to bring access to hands-on launch activities to all UK students in order to help close the space sector skills gap.

Vicky is a director at, and the Chairman of Discover Space UK. She has spent her career in science and technology, from education to research and development to the manufacturing space. She has a BSc in Physics and was a science tutor at Bridgwater College before moving to the National Physical Laboratory as a research scientist. She has over decade of aerospace project management experience and is a manager at UK Launch Services consultancy. Vicky is a member of BSi Committee ACE/068 for standardisation on Space Systems and Operations and sits on the DfT sponsored Spaceflight Safety and Regulatory Council.

Peter Guthrie is the Head Project Manager of the UK Vertical Launch Space Programme managed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The programme is primarily focussed on creating a vertical launch spaceport in Sutherland on the A’Mhoine peninsula, which has just obtained planning permission from Highlands and Islands Council.


Asclepios - Analog Space Mission

Veronica Orlandi & Loïc Lerville-Rouyer | Asclepios

Veronica Orlandi & Loïc Lerville-Rouyer Veronica Orlandi & Loïc Lerville-Rouyer

The Asclepios project is a program of analog missions designed by students for students, under the mentorship of trained professionals. This interdisciplinary project unites students and scientists from all around the globe to achieve a common goal: successfully perform “do-it-yourself” space missions. It seeks to simulate short-term space missions on other celestial bodies, such as the Moon or Mars, thus paving the way to the future space exploration of our solar system. In this talk we will present the Asclepios missions to the public, highlighting the importance of organizing an international and student-centered analog space mission!

Veronica Orlandi is doing a Master in Physics at EPFL, with a Minor in Space Technologies. She finished her Bachelor in Physics at EPFL in 2020. She attended her high school studies in Milan with a double diploma EsaBac in Italian and French. Space has always been her passion, and she has attended numerous workshops and space conferences throughout her years of studies. She is currently the Project Leader and President of Asclepios.

Most of the people reading this will probably have a young story with Space but Loïc's one is recent. He joined Asclepios 2 years ago following his fascination for the beauties of the sky but didn't do much Space related research before. He now is a 21 years old Master Student in Biomedical Engineering thriving to make his contribution to the great advances Space research has to offer. He strongly believes that one of the first steps goes through Analog Missions, a reflection of what life could be out there but back here on magnificent planet Earth.


Shaping Sustainability Beyond Earth

Rory Holmes | ClearSpace

Rory Holmes

Shaping Sustainability Beyond Earth – how can we mitigate the problem of debris and ensure that space remains viable for future generations.

Rory has over 13 years experience in the space industry, leading numerous advanced development programs at SSTL, COM DEV, Honeywell and OneWeb. He has now turned his attention to space debris and in-orbit services and leads ClearSpace’s rapidly-scaling UK subsidiary.


Live at the Launchpad - A look inside the TV world of broadcasting rocket launches from the Giuana Space Centre

Katy Haswell

Katy Haswell

ESA and NASA host, Katy Haswell, talks about how she went from reading the news to presenting rocket launches, and what it's like to work as a TV journalist and presenter at the Guiana Space Centre alongside Mission Controllers and the operational teams. A useful talk for anyone interested in the media aspect of the space industry.

Katy Haswell is a journalist and TV presenter who is passionate about space. On Christmas Day 2021, she co-hosted NASA & ESA’s live coverage of the James Webb Space Telescope launch from the Guiana Space Centre, where she is a regular, presenting live shows during rocket launches and Astronaut launches from Mission Control, Moscow.
Katy started her career as a BBC Radio news reporter and went on to anchor the news on BBC, ITN and London Tonight. She has journeyed the world presenting travel shows such as CNN’s Artclub and the Globetrekker Pilot Guides.


Spaceflight Stories

Chris Riley | The Attic Room

Chris Riley

Writer and filmmaker Christopher Riley talks about how he's connected audiences with spaceflight, over a lifetime of storytelling on cinema, TV, SVOD and social media screens and even the Washington Monument in D.C., for a unique Apollo 11 fiftieth anniversary commission for the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. From his Sundance Award winning feature documentary "In the Shadow of the Moon", to his hit YouTube Yuri Gagarin experiential film "First Orbit", and his latest Mars project "World's Apart" - Riley reflects on some of his career highlights.

Christopher Riley is a writer and filmmaker specialising in science, engineering and history. He has directed and produced more than thirty documentary films for the BBC, Film4, Netflix, National Geographic, The Discovery Channel and the Smithsonian, and has written and directed commercial shorts and branded content for HSBC, Vodafone and architects Foster + Partners.
He is best known for his BBC film The Girl who talked to Dolphins – nominated for every major UK documentary award, and his innovative experiential documentary First Orbit – recreating Yuri Gagarin's pioneering space flight, screened on over 1600 screens in more than 130 countries, including UNESCO HQ in Paris.


Adventures of an interplanetary architect

Xavier De Kestelier | Hassell

Xavier De Kestelier

How will we live elsewhere in the solar system? On Earth, natural resources for creating structures are abundant, but sending these materials up with us to the Moon or Mars is clunky and cost-prohibitive. Enter architect Xavier De Kestelier, who has a radical plan to use robots and space dust to 3D print our interplanetary homes.
He will be sharing his current projects and collaborations with NASA , ESA and Sierra Space envisioning new forms of human habitation in space.
Some useful links:

Xavier is Head of Design at international design practice Hassell, where he leads design technology and innovation across all disciplines and regions. For the last decade, Xavier has been an industry leader in the field of parametric design, digital fabrication and additive manufacturing. Prior to joining Hassell, he was Co-head of Foster+Partner’s internal research and development team where he worked on the Apple Headquarters, Kuwait and Beijing Airports, Yachtplus and the NBK Headquarters.


Slavery from Space: Investigating modern slavery and its environmental impacts using satellite data

Dr Bethany Jackson | Rights Lab, University of Nottingham

@BethJackson1xBethany Jackson

Modern slavery is a global issue affecting an estimated 40 million people; around a quarter are thought to be subjected to modern slavery in sectors connected to environmental degradation, and climate change. At the Rights Lab we have pioneered the application of satellite data to investigate sectors connected to what is termed the "modern slavery-environmental degradation-climate change nexus". In this talk, we will explore a variety of application of satellite data to support SDG 8.7, which aims to end modern slavery by 2030, such as: fish-processing in Bangladesh, tree loss in Mozambique, brick-manufacturing in South Asia, and tree loss globally.

Dr Bethany Jackson is a Senior Research Fellow in the Rights Lab's Ecosystem and the Environment Programme. Her work focuses on the application of remote sensing and mixed-methods to investigate the connections between modern slavery, environmental degradation and climate change. Her work has encompassed a number of sectors, including fish-processing, aquaculture, fishing, forests and agriculture; focusing on a number of exploitative labour typologies such as forced labour and forced marriage. Her current interests lie in the investigation of the nexus in forest environments, and she has an interest in the ethical implications of using such data to investigate modern slavery.


Space Data Panel

Ken Gordon, Zaina Rahman, Guillaume Tanier, Andrew Fournet & Jacob Geer

Ken Gordon, Zaina Rahman, Guillaume Tanier, Andrew Fournet & Jacob Geer Ken Gordon, Zaina Rahman, Guillaume Tanier, Andrew Fournet & Jacob Geer Ken Gordon, Zaina Rahman, Guillaume Tanier, Andrew Fournet & Jacob Geer Ken Gordon, Zaina Rahman, Guillaume Tanier, Andrew Fournet & Jacob Geer Ken Gordon, Zaina Rahman, Guillaume Tanier, Andrew Fournet & Jacob Geer










The UK Space Industry represents £16Bn of industry for the UK and it is not all about manufacturing and launching satellites. Around 13% of the UK satellite industry is satellite operators and almost 10% is processors of satellite data, satellite communication services and uses of satellite signals and data. With even more businesses and agencies using data produced from space missions and their operations. This space data panel brings together experts from different areas of this sector, users of payload data, analysts of payload data, telecommunications uses and the data produced by space companies when manufacturing and operating satellites. This panel will cover some of the areas of space data you may not have previously heard about and will discuss and expose the range of the space data industry from across the UK and the future of the sector

The panel chair, Ken Gordon, is the ESA Space Solutions Business Ambassador for Scotland, Northern Ireland. For the last 15 years he has been helping organisations understand and apply for UK and EU funding to do innovative things. His previous experience includes managing design teams focussed on the aerospace, explosives, automotive and consumer sectors, managing EU innovation programmes and as a bid writing consultant.
In his spare time, he paints, makes podcasts, performs improvised comedy and is learning mandarin. Not in that order.

Zaina Rahman is a Graduate Engineer at the European Space Agency, where she is working in the Space for 5G and 6G strategic program line. She is supporting collaboration across the world to integrate satellite to 5G terrestrial networks. She has studied Mathematics and Physics and has a master’s degree in Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Aerospace. She is a STEM mentor to young students and is involved with promoting diversity in sports. Zaina is a public speaker and has presented her work at United Nations COP26, ESA Open Day and Edinburgh Women in Space Conference.

Guillaume is the co-founder & CEO of Leanspace, a fast-growth startup to build the first cloud platform for space missions.
Guillaume spent the last 12 years in the space industry, developing and commercialising software products for mission operations, spacecraft design or space data management. Prior to Leanspace, he graduated from ISU and worked at Thales, NASA, Airbus, CGI and Telespazio, which led him from software engineer to outstanding business leader.
Guillaume has worked with space agencies, enterprises and newspace startups around the globe, ranging from satellite operators to launch providers and software suppliers. His deep knowledge of the space market and his broad experience in software development, product management and space innovation made him today a recognized expert in the digital transformation of space infrastructures

Andrew is Astrosat's Innovation Lead working on bright ideas and making them happen. Half Scottish / half French, born and bred in Paris, Andrew likes riding his motorcycle and wine, usually not at the same time.

Zaina Rahman is a Graduate Engineer at the European Space Agency, where she is working in the Space for 5G and 6G strategic program line. She is supporting collaboration across the world to integrate satellite to 5G terrestrial networks. She has studied Mathematics and Physics and has a master’s degree in Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Aerospace. She is a STEM mentor to young students and is involved with to promoting diversity in sports. Zaina is a public speaker and has presented her work at United Nations COP26, ESA Open Day and Edinburgh Women in Space Conference.

Jacob Geer is the lead for the UK's national activity to combat space debris, and is currently head of space surveillance and tracking at the UK Space Agency. He is an experienced policy and project leader within the UK civil service and has experience working between the defence and space sector.


How to talk about rocks and influence people

Dr Anjana Khatwa

@jurassicg1rlAnjana Khatwa

How do we help people of all backgrounds engage with the extraordinary story of our planet? Over the past 20 years, Earth Scientist and presenter Dr Anjana Khatwa has travelled the world in search of remarkable rocks that reveal the deep history of our Earth. She will reveal some of the places she loves and the techniques she uses to help people fall in love with the hidden stories of rocks under our feet.

Anjana has worked as a learning and engagement professional in the natural heritage sector for over twenty years. For 15 years she developed and managed the education and learning programme for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. She now works as the Engagement Lead for Wessex Museums where she creates strategic change to bring historically excluded audiences into four partner museums.
Anjana has been a powerful leader in raising the profile and accessibility of geosciences to audiences of all backgrounds through policy work but also on television as an expert contributor and presenter for over 12 years. She has worked tirelessly throughout her career to raise awareness and create systemic change to address the lack of diverse faces in green spaces. In recognition of her work, Anjana has been awarded the Royal Geographical Society Geographical Award, Geological Society of London R.H. Worth Award and also the National Diversity Award for Positive Role Model in Race, Faith and Religion. She has also been longlisted for the prestigious Nan Shepherd Prize 2021 for underrepresented voices in Nature Writing for her book proposal entitled The Rock Whisperer.


Airbus Presentation Competition

David Gaudin & Michael Skreta | Airbus

David Gaudin & Michael Skreta David Gaudin & Michael Skreta

Airbus would like to welcome you to the finale of our two student space competitions. The two presenters here with us today have faced three rigorous rounds of reviews and have been selected from a pool of 35 high calibre students to present innovative solutions on Space Debris Removal and Ocean World Exploration. The event will start with an introduction from Airbus graduates and experts on the importance of the chosen topics for the future of the space industry, followed by presentations from the two finalists and reception of the competition prizes.

David Gaudin graduated from ESTACA space system engineering school in France followed by an advanced master at ISAE-Supaero. He later joined the SEEDS Program and worked on the definition of a manned lunar outpost using ISRU methods to produce propellant in order to support human and robotic exploration. After an Airbus Defence and Space placement within Mars Sample Return – Earth Return Orbiter team, he joined the site of Portsmouth and is now working on the reliability of telecommunication and earth observation payloads. Aside from his technical activities, David is involved in UniCOM, the Airbus outreach association, and leads the student competition team.

Michael graduated from the University of Bristol with a Masters in Aerospace Engineering, and joined Airbus Defence & Space on the Graduate Development Programme in January 2021. As part of his core work, he works on site in Stevenage in the Future Payload Products team on the design of future telecomms payload processors to support next generation communications networks. Aside from his technical work, Michael chairs the Airbus university outreach organisation to deliver social value to local communities and ensure a strong talent stream into Airbus.


Leadership 101

Matt Davies | Matt Davies Leadership Ltd

Matt Davies

Leadership lessons for those in the early stages of their career (and a few things that the rest of us have learned and forgotten!)

Matt Davies is an executive coach and leadership consultant who specialises in developing great leaders and engaged teams. Having spent a decade and a half in financial services, he left to set up his own consultancy in 2021. In his spare time, he coaches football and American Football and is both Head Coach of the Scotland u19 and Assistant Head Coach of the GB Mens Senior American Football teams.


Observing the Sun from Space

Dr Stephanie Yardley | UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory

@slyardleyStephanie Yardley

Although our Sun is usually described as an ordinary star it regularly throws out huge eruptions. These eruptions are launched into space and race across the solar system at speeds of up to several million miles an hour. When Earth-directed, they can cause magnificent displays of the aurora however, these eruptions cause disruption to our daily lives due to our ever-growing dependence on technology. This talk focuses on how scientists observe the Sun’s outer atmosphere from space and the methods scientists use to predict solar activity to minimise the disruption that solar eruptions cause to our everyday lives.

Stephanie is a postdoctoral research fellow in space weather based at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory. Her research focuses on the evolution of the Sun’s magnetic field in the lead up to solar eruptions and the release of solar energetic particles. Solar eruptive events can lead to spectacular displays of the aurora but also pose a severe radiation risk to crewed space flight severe and cause significant disruption to our technological systems on Earth.
To mitigate the risks posed by these solar eruptive events we need to be able to predict them before they occur, which is currently very difficult. By understanding the magnetic evolution of these source regions before they produce eruptive events can help improve the warnings currently provided by space weather forecasting.
Alongside her research she is actively involved in public engagement and outreach activities, which includes giving talks, demonstrations, and space related activities. She is also a Guest Lecturer and Resident Astronomer for various cruise lines.


The James Webb Space Telescope – from first light to new planets

Mark McCaughrean | European Space Agency

@markmccaughreanMark McCaughrean

After more than three decades of development, construction, integration, and test, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope was launched from French Guiana on Christmas Day 2021 and is presently undergoing commissioning in orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. In this talk, I'll give an overview of the scientific rationale for this astonishing machine, the technological challenges that had to be overcome in realising it, and an update on the observatory status. Finally, a forward look at some of the scientific breakthroughs that JWST promises when it enters full operation later this year.

Professor Mark McCaughrean is the Senior Advisor for Science & Exploration at the European Space Agency. He is responsible for communicating results from ESA’s astronomy, solar system, and exploration missions to the scientific community and wider public. He studied and worked in the UK, US, and Germany before joining ESA in 2009. His scientific research focuses on the formation of stars and their planetary systems, and he is an Interdisciplinary Scientist for the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. He is also the co-founder of Space Rocks, which celebrates space exploration and the art, music, and culture it inspires.


Space and Defence: Security and Strategy in Orbit

Ali Stickings | Frazer-Nash Consultancy

Ali Stickings

What do we mean by the militarisation and weaponization of space? How concerned should we be about space warfare? What do organisations such as the US Space Force and UK Space Command actually do? This talk will explore the many aspects of defence and security in space, including international politics and strategy, legal considerations and the implications for civil and commercial use of space.

Ali Stickings is Space Strategy Lead at Frazer-Nash Consultancy, where her role includes business development and project delivery across the space, defence and government sectors. She was previously Research Fellow for Space Policy and Security at the Royal United Services Institute. Her expertise includes military space programmes, space warfare, counterspace capabilities, space situational awareness, arms control and the intersection of space and missile defence. She has published widely, regularly provides expert commentary to the media and is a frequent speaker at international conferences.


STEAM Panel

Richard Hollingham, Marta Zawadzka, Finn Strivens & Anna Talvi

Richard Hollingham, Marta Zawadzka, Finn Strivens & Anna Talvi Richard Hollingham, Marta Zawadzka, Finn Strivens & Anna Talvi Richard Hollingham, Marta Zawadzka, Finn Strivens & Anna Talvi Richard Hollingham, Marta Zawadzka, Finn Strivens & Anna Talvi










Hosted by Richard Hollingham, the STEAM Panel aims to explore the common ground between Arts and STEM; how these two fields are related, what can be learned from one to be applied in the other, and how students and the space sector in general can benefit from this approach

Multi-award-winning science and environment journalist, Richard is an experienced radio producer and presenter. He is a feature writer for BBC Future, presenter of the Space Boffins Podcast and a reporter and launch commentator for the European Space Agency.
Richard is a former Senior Producer for BBC’s flagship news programme, Today, and its first science producer. He has reported from around the world for the BBC, including Antarctica (twice), Libya, Vietnam, Russia and the top of a missile silo in Kazakhstan. He is the author of popular science books on space dogs as well as the history of surgery.

Marta is an inspirational artist whose background and study in architecture and design translates into a dynamic canvas. Her works can be seen in galleries, exhibitions and art fairs around the world. Marta has been seen in British Vogue, The World of Interiors, the Khaleej Times, and Die Welt, and has worked with brands such as Samsung and Grolsch. The media of fluorescent paint, acrylics and spray paints in her work bring to life icons from the world of art, sport, film, music as well as inspirational leaders of our time.

Finn Strivens is a designer, researcher and foresight practitioner who is passionate about empowering people to shape their collective futures.
Finn is an NGFP fellow, and the inaugural winner of the NGFP Walkabout Prize where he is using arts based approaches including social media to engage young people to think about the future. He has previously worked on projects to involve young people in thinking about lunar mining, martian habitation
Finn is also a visiting lecturer in Global Innovation Design at Imperial College London and is founder and creative lead at Futurall, a design studio specialising in producing large scale participatory futures engagements. He is a regular public speaker at foresight conferences such as Primer, Futures Festival, and the Global Foresight Summit, and has previously completed Masters degrees in Global Innovation Design and in Biochemistry.

Anna Talvi is currently pursuing a PhD at the UCL, Bartlett School of Architecture, in partnership with the European Space Agency. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on developing a 4-dimensional microgravity-specific astronaut's body mapping and a topological framework to predict the mechanical behaviour of knitted structures for next generation space suits. Talvi is also the founder of Microgravity Technologies, a startup developing technology for automated generation of knit instructions for 4D CNC-knitted structures.


SpaceProjects.uk: Matching Students and Industry

Jacob Smith | UKSEDS

Jacob Smith

During their degree, students have to complete a lengthy individual and/or group project, and space-related topics are rarely available. Space employers often highlight a lack of skilled graduates, and students, a lack of opportunities to get experience, so the SpaceProjects.uk scheme was created to provide students with an opportunity to gain space experience before they graduate by matching them with a space company for their degree project. This presentation will outline how the scheme works, the benefits to both students and companies, how they can get involved, and an overview of the successes to date and plans for the future.

Jacob created SpaceProjects.uk to provide university students with space experience before they graduate by linking them with industry for their degree projects. He is also managing the redevelopment of SpaceCareers.uk, to provide an updated service tailored to the needs of employers and job hunters. Before this, Jacob was Chair of UKSEDS, a position in which he oversaw the provision of opportunities and resources for students across the UK to engage with the space community, learn about the sector, and develop key skills. Jacob is a Graduate Engineer at SSTL and has an MSc in Astronautics and Space Engineering from Cranfield University.


How to Succeed in STEM Career with a focus in Space

Dr Detina Zalli | We Speak Science

@OxfordZalliDetina Zalli

Dr Zalli earned her PhD in University of Leicester, UK. Her research focused on NIMA (Never In Mitosis Gene A)- Related Kinase 8 mutated in the human cystic kidney disease nephronophthisis. Dr Zalli carried her postdoctoral research training at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine where she focused on podosome patterning in Osteoclasts and Bone Resorption In Vivo and In Vitro. Following her postdoctoral training at Harvard, Dr Zalli worked as lecturer where she directed multiple courses for graduate students in cancer cell biology in collaboration with world-class scientists in cell biology. She was also the director of Advanced Graduate Preclinical and Clinical Research Seminar and the director of Biotech Journal Club. Influenced by the President of United States, Barack Obama, at Harvard, Dr Zalli joined Harvard Professional Government where she led multiple important events such as Harvard Lectures That Last and Harvard Leadership Conference. Dr Zalli later moved at the University of Oxford where she was the academic lead for MSc course in Precision Cancer Medicine and collaborated with Nobel Prize Winners. Dr Zalli is also the Co-founder of We Speak Science, a non-profit institution, the aim of which is to increase awareness of science with a focus in space and medicine in the USA and Europe. Through We Speak Science, Dr Zalli co-founded the charity called “Aferdita Ime”, in collaboration with other world-class oncologists and scientists whose aim is to help cancer patients through psycho-social support and counselling.


Unearthing Futures: Imagining Possible Futures of Lunar Mining

Arts Workshop

Arts Workshop

Led by Finn Strivens, in groups, students will explore different future scenario and their implications on the world around us. At the end of the session groups will come back together to share some different insights into the future of Lunar mining.


Democratising Space, We are Space Hero.

Deborah Sass | Space Hero

Deborah Sass

Space Hero inspires community, collaboration and innovation on Earth, engaging with anyone, anywhere, without boundaries, as only the experience of space exploration can do. Deborah Sass and the creator & co-founder, Thomas Reemer embark on this business journey together to democratize space training and travel. Space Hero is the world's first-ever global competition series where contestants compete for a $55-million, 10-day trip to Space, the biggest prize ever awarded on TV. The competition for this once-in-a-lifetime journey will be open to anyone over 18 who speaks English, and the pre-registration process is now available. How did it all start? Where is Deborah & the team heading towards and what are the challenges they had to go through to come to where they are today - This is where you will find out how they are going to encourage participants and fans to be inspired by the wonder of Space travel to create change at home. Understanding Space means understanding Earth!

Deborah Sass is a seasoned entertainment industry executive with a unique global perspective on doing business in today’s ever-interconnected world. She is a member of the World Economic Forum representing the Global future council on space. Deborah engaged formally with the Space Industry in 2016 as a Founding Partner and Co-CEO of Space Hero, the first world-wide movement aiming to democratize Space through a biennial global competition creating the first opportunity for a non-astronaut, non-billionaire to go into Space. Throughout the years she has worked with some of media and technology’s biggest names, including Mirror Group Newspapers, The Times Newspapers in the UK and Channel 9, 7 & 10 in Australia. Before embarking on her TV pursuit, she also worked in radio at both 96 FM & 2GB in Australia. After returning back to the UK she secured roles working with all things Digital & Entertainment with clients such as Amazon, iTunes, Shazam and Spotify. While working within the Entertainment Tech industry, Deborah has structured many international strategic partnerships with global brands, developed profitable business relationships with key stakeholders and helped raise capital. She is also a co-founder of 500FemaleFounders.


Take Charge of Your Time and Reduce Burnout - Workshop

Dr Rosie Doyle | Fistral Training and Consultancy Ltd

Rosie Doyle

Work (academic or industrial) can be overwhelming due to the quantity of the work and the difficulty in planning work that is unfamiliar and lacking clear boundaries. Plus, with so many opportunities, it can be easy to take on too much and end up overcommitted. This short interactive seminar introduces 3 simple techniques to help take charge of work and make sustained progress while minimising the chance of burnout.
The seminar will cover:

  • Goal-setting to create focus for work
  • Prioritising multiple demands to maintain focus on what’s truly important
  • Taking charge of each week to make sustained, manageable progress

Since 1993 Rosie has worked with organisations designing and delivering training, research, consultancy and 1:1 coaching. Previously working at Sheffield Hallam, St Andrews and Edinburgh Napier Universities, she specialises in Team Working, Communication, DiSC® Behavioural Profiling, Team Leadership, Resilience and Motivation.
Since 2013 she works with Fistral developing and delivering a suite of courses specifically aimed at Space Operations staff: spacecraft controllers (ISS, Galileo), preparing for launch (LEOP) and technical officers within ESA. Courses include: Team Management and Leadership; Professional Communication; Influencing; Leading Teams in Challenging Circumstances; Time Management; Decision-Making in Stressful Circumstances and The Effective Teamworker.