Space technologies continue to be integrated seamlessly into our lives high bandwidth global communications, Earth imaging for environmental monitoring and satellite navigation services. This talk will explore a range of emerging space technologies which could enable new services including; swarms of 'smart dust' devices to monitor the space environment; large, ultra-lightweight reflectors fabricated in-orbit to reflect sunlight onto terrestrial solar power farms to boost their output; near-Earth asteroids as a resource to reduce the scale of future space ventures by using material already at the top of the Earth's deep gravity well.

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About the speaker: Professor Colin Mcinnes

Colin is James Watt Chair, Professor Engineering Science at the University of Glasgow. He leads a busy research group developing a range of emerging space technologies; these range from centimetre-scale femto-spacecraft to in-space manufacturing of large space structures, with research on asteroid resources and energy from space. The group’s programme of research is currently supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the European Research Council. Aside from his research activities, Colin has served on the Scottish Science Advisory Council and served as Chair of the UK Space Agency’s Space Technology Advisory Committee.