NASA experts to visit Portsmouth to help businesses join the space industry

Guest speakers from NASA and the UK Space Agency will be speaking at the launch of the University of Portsmouth’s ‘Mission Space’ strategy at the Village Hotel Portsmouth on Tuesday.

The new project aims to connect the international space industry with businesses and organisations across the region.

Experts from the university and local businesses are set to discuss the latest in space technology, exploration, and innovation at the event, which is chaired by the former universities and science minister, David Willetts.

Keynote speakers include Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency, and Jeffrey Booth, a manager at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which developed America’s first Earth-orbiting science satellite.

The director of the university’s institute of cosmology and gravitation, Professor Adam Amara, said: ‘The global space industry is booming and the UK has strong ambitions to make its mark as a space nation.

‘The university echoes this ambition and is working on an exciting strategy “Mission Space” to bring together key players across the south of England and drive growth in the sector.’

The university hosts the South Coast Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications (SCCoE), which was created to help businesses and academics use satellite technologies in areas including healthcare, construction, tourism, and agriculture.

Professor Amara added: ‘The University of Portsmouth has world-leading astronomy research and innovation in space technology, and it’s an exciting time to apply this expertise in space observation to realise the many benefits to our world.

‘Space activity is an integral part of our daily lives – we use it for satnav, earth observation, google maps and running apps. It can also be used to predict natural disasters and combat climate change. We can even use algorithms for detecting exploding stars to spot changes in moles to detect early warning signs for skin cancer.

‘There are exciting opportunities for growth and new partnerships in the space sector and we want to play a key role in supporting and growing our region’s space industry to ensure that the future of space is thriving.’

Anyone wishing to attend the event – which runs from 9am to 5pm – can register their interest by visiting port.ac.uk.