Maths in Space
14.20 - 14.55 GMT
Beam in and hear from hidden heroes of the UK space industry revealing their missions and adventures involving the use of maths.
Hosted by the session’s Patron, hear from an awesome panel in academia and industry. Discover how they participate in space missions here on Earth; their journeys from studying to becoming a member of a thriving UK space industry; be inspired by the contribution being made to international space exploration.
Recommended for secondary schools
Patron: Patricia Skelton - Deputy Head of Astronomy: Programmes and Outreach, Royal Observatory Greenwich
The Royal Observatory Greenwich is one of the most important historic scientific sites in the world and celebrates its 350th anniversary in 2025. From the Great Equatorial Telescope, one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world, to the Peter Harrison Planetarium, the Royal Observatory’s mix of historical and cutting-edge technology allows everyone to experience the wonders of space and discover how science and mathematics have transformed the way we study and view the Universe.
Patricia began her career as an academic before being drawn to working at the Royal Observatory Greenwich as an astronomer and science communicator. She’s passionate about astronomy and space exploration – two amazing fields in which Mathematics plays a vital role!
Panellist: Mark Boyd – Interim Meteorites Curator, Natural History Museum & PhD Researcher in Planetary Science, Imperial College London.
Mark currently works as a curator at the Natural History Museum and is also a PhD researcher in planetary science and geology at Imperial College London, affiliated with the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. As a curator at the NHM, he is responsible for the UK collection of meteorites, their long-term care, and use in scientific studies, exhibitions and outreach. In his research, he investigates micrometeorites (tiny extraterrestrial particles) and terrestrial dust produced by a variety of planetary processes, using these geochemical messengers to understand the evolution of planets and their environments.
Maths has been key to Mark’s career journey as he completed a BSc Natural Sciences (Chemistry and Earth Sciences) at Durham University and a MS Geology (Planetary Science) at the University of Alabama (USA). He is committed to broadening engagement with STEM subjects through a variety of outreach activities, demonstrating the many routes into a career in space.
Panellist: Dr Anna Jungbluth - Research Fellow, European Space Agency (ESA), Climate Team
The ESA Climate Team is the focal point for the Agency’s climate-related activities and is based at ESA's ECSAT facility in Harwell, UK. As part of ESA's Earth Observation programme, the Climate Team aims to increase the availability and use of global, satellite-based Earth Observation data for decision-making.Anna Jungbluth is a Research Fellow based here, where she works on machine learning applications for Earth Observation satellite data. She earned her PhD in Physics from the University of Oxford, researching how to make solar panels more efficient.
Anna's passion for applying machine learning to science began in 2018 when she participated in the ESA-sponsored Act in Space Hackathon. The following year, she joined a NASA-funded summer research programme (Frontier Development Lab), where she worked in an interdisciplinary team of researchers to develop machine learning models for studying the Sun. Anna is dedicated to mentorship and promoting diversity in STEM.
