Lord Drayson calls for UK to remain a leader in space science
At a visit to the University of Hertfordshire yesterday (Monday 20 April), Lord Drayson, the Government’s Minister for Science and Innovation stressed the importance of UK leadership in space science both for the economy and for future generations.
He was then taken on a tour of the conference exhibition and was shown ExoMars, a space rover which will be used on a future Mars mission, together with satellite models from the European Space Agency and Astrium, and models from future very large ground-based telescopes.
The purpose of Lord Drayson’s visit was to open the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS), which is hosted by the University of Hertfordshire this week (20-23 April).
In his speech, he celebrated the UK’s contribution to space science and its role in the discovery of new planets and research into dark energy, as well as its role in the creation of tangible jobs for scientists, and in inspiring schoolchildren to become the astronomers of the future.
“I believe that the UK has to remain a leader in this sector,” he said. “Space-age tools are essential for our security and for our better understanding of the world around us.”
Professor Tim Wilson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire, who welcomed Lord Drayson, said that the University had started its investment in astronomy in 1967 and had not ceased since with investments spanning almost the entire range of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. He also endorsed the fact that EWASS has organised an event for schools on Friday.
“Where better for young people to get excited about science and technology than at a University,” he said. “I applaud the conference for including such an imaginative and thoughtful initiative.”
Professor Andy Fabian, President of the Royal Astronomical Society, also addressed the gathering and said that this year’s National Astronomy Meeting is a really a “SuperNAM”, as it is Europe’s largest astronomy gathering since 2000 and incorporates the 2009 Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2009) and the European Astronomical Society Joint Meeting (JENAM 2009) and has attracted more than 1000 astronomers and space scientists.
Further highlights of EWASS are:
• Eleven plenary lectures and forty-one parallel sessions featuring recent research on a wide range of astronomical topics, including the formation of planets around other stars, the coming generation of large telescopes, forthcoming missions in the Solar System, cosmology, gravitational waves and lenses, and the current extended minimum of solar activity.
• A Schools Day on Friday 24 April at which Cambridge-born NASA Astronaut, Michael Foale, will field an “Ask an Astronaut” session.
• Four public lectures will also be delivered, one on each evening, by Michael Foale and three eminent academics in astrophysics.
A full and up to date schedule of these and other events can be found on the official website at http://www.jenam2009.eu/
Full details of the programme, and abstracts of the presentations and posters, are available on the meeting website at: http://www.jenam2009.eu The conference is principally sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Astronomical Society (EAS), Astrium (Stevenage), and the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield.
For further information, please contact:
Hélène Murphy
Media & PR Officer
University of Hertfordshire
Email: h.1.murphy@herts.ac.uk