The future of ground based astronomy – the space debris problem

Guest Speaker

Thursday, 9th November 2023 (19:45 - 22:00)

Venue: swmcmeet

 As the field of ground-based astronomy continues to advance, one significant challenge looms on the horizon: the problem of space debris. With an increasing number of satellites and other objects orbiting the Earth, the risk of collisions and subsequent generation of debris poses a threat to the future of ground-based astronomical observations.

 

Space debris, consisting of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from previous space missions, poses a significant hazard due to its potential to damage or destroy operational satellites and even the International Space Station. However, the impact of space debris extends beyond the realm of space exploration and directly affects ground-based astronomy.

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Speaker: Don Pollacco

Don Pollacco, Professor of Astrophysics, & Director of the Centre for Space Domain Awareness, University of Warwick. Don Pollacco has held the position of Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Warwick since 2012, having held a similar role at Queen’s University, Belfast.

He was the co-founder of the WASP Project which has been the most successful ground-based transiting Exoplanet discovery facility with some ~190 discoveries to date. The WASP project won the RAS Team Award in 2010 and some of its earliest discoveries were ranked in the top 10 in the Times/CNN ranking of World Scientific discoveries for 2008. Pollacco is the Science Coordinator for ESA’s PLATO Mission due for launch in 2026, and, he has established the PLATO Science Office at Warwick University, with responsibility for the contributions of over 500 scientists across Europe.

Pollacco has recently established the Warwick Centre for Space Domain Awareness and is the Co-PI of STFC’s Global Network for Sustainability in Space. While the Centre has broad scientific interests, Pollacco is personally interested in optical LEO surveys and other aspects of SSA.