Megaconstellations: Starlink, Space Junk and the Night Sky

Megaconstellations: Starlink, Space Junk and the Night Sky

Ticket holder can access the zoom codes through the online access page and will also be emailed codes 24 hours before event begins

Talk Overview:

Every facet daily life is dependent on space in some way, and the launch of satellites into Earth orbit delivers information and services that form the invisible glue holding our society and economy together. Since the dawn of the space age in the 1950’s this reliance has grown in line with the number of satellites placed into orbit. The advent of re-usable rockets and satellite mass production in recent years has exponentially increased the amount of operational spacecraft that now forecast the weather, support responses to natural disasters, and even guide your pizza delivery driver! However, this amazing technology also comes with environmental risks both within space and to the effective conduct of astronomy from the Earth’s surface. In this talk Ian will discuss the evolution of the satellite population over time and look into the near future, highlighting the challenges this may cause for terrestrial amateur and professional astronomers and for anyone observing the natural night sky. He will then cover some of the possible responses to this issue and introduce the work taking place in Manchester to find mitigations to these problems using very low Earth orbits.

Speaker Background:

Ian Muirhead is a space scientist and engineer currently conducting research into the development of very low Earth orbit telecommunications constellations at the University of Manchester where he also lectures in spacecraft systems engineering. Having completed a BSc in Physics through the Open University whilst in the British Army, he left military service after 23 years with the goal of entering the space sector. He initially completed an MSc in Astrophysics as a mature student at Liverpool John Moores University before returning to the OU as an associate lecturer in physics and astronomy, a role he continues in today part-time alongside his primary post in Manchester on a doctoral teaching and research scholarship. He is a fellow of both the Royal Astronomical Society and the Higher Education Academy, and a member the Institute of Physics, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

His broader interests include spacecraft operations, space security and warfare, and the interfaces between social sciences and technology in space exploration. He is an active member of the International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies and contributes to their policy analysis to guide legislators, spacecraft operators, and the scientific community in the enablement of astronomy whilst facilitating access to the opportunities created by world changing space technology. A committed advocate for access to higher education for those later in life and from lower socio-economic backgrounds, he is a STEM ambassador who delivers inspirational talks and activities to secondary school pupils and further engages in a wide range of public outreach to increase awareness of the dependencies of our modern society on space whilst inspiring the next generation of space professionals.