̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - space exploration

Cambridge Festival Speaker Spotlight: Professor Hiranya Peiris

zs332 — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 16:49:17 +0000

Hiranya Peiris holds the Professorship of Astronomy (1909) at Cambridge, the first woman to do so in the 115-year history of this prestigious chair. As a cosmologist, she delves into cosmic mysteries at the edge of our understanding, reaching back to the very first moments of the Universe after the Big Bang, often treading the path of high risk and high reward.

Graphene heads to the moon

sc604 — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:35:21 +0000

Cambridge researchers are part of a European project testing graphene’s ability to protect spacecraft against the sticky, sharp dust on the moon’s surface – a challenge for lunar missions since the Apollo era.

First spaceflight for Gates Cambridge Scholar

fpjl2 — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 13:32:45 +0000

On 10th November Kayla Barron blasted off into space on her first trip to the International Space Station where she is part of a six-month science mission. Kayla, a Gates Cambridge alumna, was one of four astronauts on the SpaceX Crew Dragon.

Cambridge researcher joins NASA science mission searching for signs of past life on Mars

sc604 — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 11:57:31 +0000

Professor Nicholas Tosca from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is the only UK scientist selected by NASA to be part of the core science team for the Mars Perseverance 2020 mission, which is searching for signs of past life on the red planet.

New exoplanet think tank will ask the big questions about extra-terrestrial worlds

sc604 — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 08:44:25 +0000

With funding from ̽��ֱ��Kavli Foundation, the think tank will bring together some of the major researchers in exoplanetary science – arguably the most exciting field in modern astronomy – for a series of annual meetings to address the biggest questions in this field which humanity could conceivably answer in the next decade.

“We’re really at the frontier in exoplanet research,” said Dr Nikku Madhusudhan of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy, who is leading the think tank. “ ̽��ֱ��pace of new discoveries is incredible – it really feels like anything can be discovered any moment in our exploration of extra-terrestrial worlds. By bringing together some of the best minds in this field we aim to consolidate our collective wisdom and address the biggest questions in this field that humanity can ask and answer at this time.”

Tremendous advances have been made in the study of exoplanets since the first such planet was discovered around a sun-like star in 1995 by the Cavendish Laboratory’s Professor Didier Queloz. Just last month, a potentially habitable world was discovered in our own neighbourhood, orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the sun.

However, there are still plenty questions to be answered, such as whether we’re capable of detecting signatures of life on other planets within the next ten years, what the best strategies are to find habitable planets, how diverse are planets and their atmospheres, and how planets form in the first place.

With at least four space missions and numerous large ground-based facilities scheduled to become operational in the next decade, exoplanetary scientists will be able to detect more and more exoplanets, and will also have the ability to conduct detailed studies of their atmospheres, interiors, and formation conditions. At the same time, major developments are expected in all aspects of exoplanetary theory and data interpretation.

In order to make these major advances in the field, new interdisciplinary approaches are required. Additionally, as new scientific questions and areas emerge at an increasingly fast pace, there is a need for a focused forum where emerging questions in frontier areas of the field can be discussed. “Given the exciting advancements in exoplanetary science now is the right time to assess the state of the field and the scientific challenges and opportunities on the horizon,” said Professor Andy Fabian, director of the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge.

̽��ֱ��think tank will operate in the form of a yearly Exoplanet Symposium series which will be focused on addressing pressing questions in exoplanetary science. One emerging area or theme in exoplanetary science will be chosen each year based on its critical importance to the advancement of the field, relevance to existing or imminent observational facilities, need for an interdisciplinary approach, and/or scope for fundamental breakthroughs.

About 30 experts in the field from around the world will discuss outstanding questions, new pathways, interdisciplinary synergies, and strategic actions that could benefit the exoplanet research community.

̽��ֱ��inaugural symposium, “Kavli ExoFrontiers 2016”, is being held this week in Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��goal of this first symposium is to bring together experts from different areas of exoplanetary science to share their visions about the most pressing questions and future outlook of their respective areas. These visions will help provide both a broad outlook of the field and identify the ten most important questions in the field that could be addressed within the next decade. “We hope the think tank will provide a platform for new breakthroughs in the field through interdisciplinary and international efforts while bringing the most important scientific questions of our time to the fore,” said Madhusudhan. “We are in the golden age of exoplanetary science.”

More information about the Kavli ExoFrontiers 2016 Symposium is available at: www.ast.cam.ac.uk/meetings/2016/kavli.exofrontiers.2016.symposium

An international exoplanet ‘think tank’ is meeting this week in Cambridge to deliberate on the ten most important questions that humanity could answer in the next decade about planets outside our solar system.

We’re really at the frontier in exoplanet research.

Nikku Madhusudhan

ESO/M. Kornmesser

Artist’s impression of the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 from the surface of one of its planets

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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First atmospheric study of Earth-sized exoplanets using Hubble telescope

sjr81 — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:15:38 +0000

Embarking on the first attempt at detecting the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system, a team of Cambridge and international researchers discovered that the exoplanets TRAPPIST-1b and TRAPPIST-1c, approximately 40 light-years away, are unlikely to have puffy, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres such as those usually found on gaseous worlds like Jupiter or Saturn.

̽��ֱ��lack of a hydrogen-helium envelope increases the Earth-likeliness of these planets and has caused considerable excitement among researchers taking part in the study. ̽��ֱ��results of their findings are published today in the journal Nature.

“Humanity’s remote exploration of alien environments has truly started,” said Amaury Triaud, a research fellow at Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. “It is tantalizing to think that with another ten similar observations, we would start distinguishing whether those planets are more Venus-like, more Earth-like, or if they are radically different.”

Researchers observed the planets in near-infrared light and used spectroscopy to decode a change of light as the planets transited in front of their stars. During transit, starlight shines through a planet’s atmosphere making it possible to deduce its chemical makeup.

Both planets orbit TRAPPIST-1 – an ultracool dwarf star that is much cooler and redder than the sun, and barely larger than Jupiter. TRAPPIST-1 has a mass 8% that of the Sun and is located in the constellation of Aquarius. ̽��ֱ��planets orbiting the star were discovered in late 2015 through a series of observations by the TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST), a Belgian robotic telescope located at ESO’s (European Southern Observatory’s) La Silla Observatory in Chile. ̽��ֱ��small size of the star TRAPPIST-1 boosts the signal produced by the planets’ atmospheres, easing their study by nearly 100 times compared to similar planets orbiting stars like the Sun.

TRAPPIST-1b completes a circuit around its red dwarf star in 1.5 days and TRAPPIST-1c in 2.4 days. Thanks to the faintness of the star they orbit, and to the planet’s short orbits, it is possible that parts of their surfaces have temperatures similar to the Earth. While it remains unclear whether the planets are habitable, they are the first worlds for which we can determine the existence of a habitable climate.

On May 4, astronomers took advantage of a rare simultaneous transit, when both planets crossed the face of their star within minutes of each other, to measure starlight as it filtered through any existing atmosphere. This double transit, which occurs only once every two years, provided a chance to hasten the atmospheric study of TRAPPIST-1b and TRAPPIST-1c.

̽��ֱ��researchers now hope to use Hubble to conduct follow-up observations to search for thinner atmospheres, composed of elements heavier than hydrogen, like those of Earth and Venus.

Observations from future telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, will help determine the full composition of these atmospheres and hunt for potential biosignatures, such as carbon dioxide and ozone, in addition to water vapor and methane. Webb also will analyze a planet’s temperature and surface pressure – key factors in assessing its habitability.

“Our observations demonstrate that Hubble has the capacity to play a central role,” said lead researcher Julien de Wit, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It can carry-out an atmospheric pre-screening, to tell astronomers which of these Earth-sized planets are prime candidates for more detailed study with the Webb telescope.”

̽��ֱ��TRAPPIST telescope identified these two Earth-sized worlds during a prototype run for a more ambitious venture, called SPECULOOS, which is currently in construction at Cerro Paranal, Chile. SPECULOOS will monitor 1,000 nearby red dwarf stars seeking additional Earth-sized worlds.

Professor Didier Queloz, Professor of Physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, and a founding member of the project, said: “Within the next five years, SPECULOOS will likely detect 20-30 new Earth-sized planets. All of them will have atmospheres that can be investigated by the James Webb.”

Dr Brice-Olivier Demory, a senior research associate at the Cavendish Laboratory, said: “Soon we will have the right targets, and the right telescopes to start investigating rocky planet atmospheres beyond our Solar system. Finding out whether other worlds are indeed Earth-like is only a matter of time.”

̽��ֱ��Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA. Goddard manages the telescope and STScI conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington.

Two Earth-sized exoplanets have become the first rocky worlds to have their atmospheres studied using the Hubble Space Telescope.

Humanity’s remote exploration of alien environments has truly started.

Amaury Triaud

NASA

Artist's View of Planets Transiting Red Dwarf Star in TRAPPIST-1 System

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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Local school takes classroom into space

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:35:47 +0000

On Wednesday 6 February, groups of enthusiastic children, aged 4-11 years old, at Icknield Primary School were taken to infinity and beyond during a day of classes that celebrated all things space, including workshops about space and astronauts, games, a hands-on demonstration of a real space suit (including how to go to the toilet in the space suit), making models of space suits and helmets, and building model spaceships.

̽��ֱ��Icknield space day, which is just the beginning of a programme of space-themed events at the School, is linked to the Space to Earth challenge – and Mission X Train Like an Astronaut challenges a call to action for schools to align their teaching activities with the 400km distance between the International Space Station (ISS) and Earth, and Earth and the Moon as part of the UK Space Agency's package of activities for the Principia Mission.

Over the next few months, teachers at the School will incorporate space-themed physics, technology, mathematics, PE and design activities into daily teaching, coinciding with the six-month European Space Agency (ESA) mission to ISS by British Astronaut, Tim Peake. Tim is the first British ESA astronaut to live and work on the ISS. ̽��ֱ��mission is intended to inspire children and young people to explore the world around them, and engage more fully with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Dr Helen Mason OBE from ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and a Fellow of St Edmund’s College, and Heather MacRae (venturethinking), who is leading the Space to Earth Challenge, spent the day at Icknield school. Throughout the day, Helen and Heather participated in every lesson, taking the excited children on a journey through space and answering any questions from the ever-inquisitive young minds, such as:

“What are the chances of there being life on other planets?”

“Could a black hole suck up the space station?”

“What would happen if the space suit had a hole while the astronaut was space walking?”

Speaking about the day, Helen said: “We need to get children interested and excited about science at an early age and Tim Peake’s mission is a great opportunity to do this. ̽��ֱ��mission is called Principia, named after the book by Sir Isaac Newton who studied at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. So this is a fantastic chance for local schools to get involved in a range of fantastic activities.”

Eleven-year old, Karla Bolton, who wore the space suit said: “It’s a lot heavier than it looks and you get really warm inside it. It makes you realise how hard it must be to wear it a lot. ̽��ֱ��best bit of the whole day was trying on the suit. I also found it very interesting learning how small the Earth is compared to the Sun. I’m now really looking forward to watching more stories about Tim in the news.”

Gregor James, also 11-years old, agreed: “I’m really excited to watch more about Tim’s mission too. We’ve done lots of things on space today and on other days, asking lots of questions. It’s made me more interested in doing science when I go to high school.”

Icknield School Deputy Head, Tom Snowdon, who is coordinating activities at the School, has noticed the children’s heightened enthusiasm for science over the last couple of months since they started the Space to Earth Challenge.

He said, “We are part of the Tim Peake Primary Project supported by the European Space Education Resource Office. We’ve been working with Heather and Helen since November and the children are really starting to connect with the ideas, and to think much more about space and science.

“Over the Christmas holidays, lots of the children designed and made space helmets that we have been sharing and using for the basis of science lesson work. These have clearly made the children consider what the environment would be like in space and how they would survive there.

“As a result, they’re now switching on to scientific concepts, as demonstrated by some of their questions that really showed their depth of thought. It’s opened up their eyes to new possibilities, especially all the different types of careers involved with science and space.”

Parents of children at Icknield School have also noticed a difference. Dr Matt Davey, a Senior Research Associate at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Plant Sciences Department, and a research associate of Corpus Christi College, is a parent of pupils at Icknield Primary and Pippins pre-school.

He said: “My children had an amazing day – they really enjoyed touching the space suit and it was great to hear them talking about it in such detail at home. I even learnt a lot about space suits and living in space, such as how each suit and seat is made for each astronaut. They’re now looking forward to the other planned space events this term at the school, such as docking and working in their classroom version of the International Space Station.”

Icknield School has further events planned during the next few months, including a visit from Spectrum Drama Company who will perform a dramatisation about Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. In addition, an astronomer will be visiting the School to give a presentation to Year 6.

A primary school in Sawston spent the day learning all about space and one lucky 11-year old girl had the chance to try on a real space suit.

We need to get children interested and excited about science at an early age and Tim Peake’s mission is a great opportunity to do this

Helen Mason OBE

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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