|
|
Godfather of Revolutionary Satellite Visits At-Bristol
Dr. Stuart Eves, also known by some as the ‘Godfather’ of the Topsat
programme, will be meeting the public on Friday, 23 Feb 2007, in
At-Bristol.
During the ‘Meet the Expert’ session in the science centre, Dr. Eves will
enthuse visitors with intriguing and extraordinary facts about our solar
system, and designing satellites, some of which may be as small as a coke
can.
Just as cheap PC computers now perform many of the functions that used to
require large, expensive mainframe machines, smaller satellites mean that
it will become affordable to launch more into space, and perform a greater
variety of tasks. With more satellites in orbit, the level of data
continuity will therefore be higher and there can be spares available
on-orbit to replace any that fail.
“It’s great that At-Bristol science centre has created an ideal mutual
platform for scientists like myself to inspire and interest the young and
the general public with what we do. Through this activity, I hope to
encourage more people to be familiar with an innovation that’s
increasingly being interwoven into their lives and perhaps even win some
young hearts over to contribute to this field in the future,” says Dr.
Eves.
“We are reliant on satellites in so many aspects of our lives, from
communications, weather forecasting and even monitoring climate change.
For instance satellites enable us to have a better understanding of the
moon, which is a pristine environment not exposed to erosion; unlike the
Earth, where factors like wind and rain make the climate history very hard
to interpret. Data collected on the Moon may help to provide input to
climate models on our own planet,” says Dr. Eves.
For those who are interested, Dr Eves will also provide a few tips on
spotting satellites, since some of the larger ones can be seen with the
naked eye.
With long experience in the field of satellite design, Dr. Eves and the
other members of the TopSat Consortium won well-deserved recognition with
the TopSat small satellite mission.
Topsat is a revolutionary micro-satellite system; it provides high
resolution imaging of the Earth quickly and at low cost. Weighing just 120
kg, the satellite carries an optical camera capable of delivering images
of objects as small as cars from an orbit that is 700 km above the Earth.
The design has been touted as an innovation that has the potential to
change satellite and space reconnaissance technology.
For press enquiries please contact Mavis Choong, At-Bristol Press
Office
0117 915 7152 / 0796 733 4152 /
mavis.choong@at-bristol.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
-
At-Bristol is a leading science centre in the UK and a
major player in the worldwide science centre movement. It aims to be a
world-class science and natural history centre that makes distinctive,
valued and recognised contributions to informal science learning and
public engagement with science across Europe. A registered charity,
At-Bristol has hosted more than three million visits and continually
strives towards making science accessible to all.
www.at-bristol.org.uk
(Registered charity no. 1049954)
|
