In the past few years it has become increasingly apparent that changes in the nature of astronomical observations and the increasing numbers of satellites in orbit around the Earth are inevitably going to result in contention. The talk will explain why these changes are happening, and provide an insight into some of the measures that could be taken to alleviate the problems. Be prepared for a wide-ranging talk that will encompass topics as diverse as satellite thermal control, the business case for the OneWeb constellation, Stonehenge, and the Fermi Paradox. Although we face some short-term challenges, the conclusion to the talk is positive; by working in collaboration, astronomers and satellite manufacturers could save the world.
Our speaker will be Dr Stuart Eves, who now runs his own space consultancy business, having formerly been Lead Mission Concepts Engineer for Surrey Satellite Technology Limited. He has worked in the commercial space industry since 2004, following a 16-year career in the governmental space sector with the UK MOD.
Stuart has worked on a variety of satellite missions, including Skynet 4, Skynet 5, TDS-1, NovaSAR, and most recently Skynet 6. The highlight of Stuart’s career to date was the initiation of the TopSat imaging satellite programme, which established a new world record for “resolution per mass of satellite”, and was the subject of a display in the Science Museum in London.
