The Buzz Of The Job

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Experiences At The Space Agency

What follows is taken from a blog post I wrote in December 2012 about some highlights of my job with the UK Space Agency. Today’s post serves as a means of capturing a selection of the interesting memories I have from a particularly busy three months in 2012.

Meetings

In October 2012 I went to London for a meeting with Buzz Aldrin. The second man to walk on the Moon, Buzz remains one of my heroes. During the session I participated in a broad ranging discussion on the future of space exploration. With a background in engineering, Mr Aldrin had some detailed insights into the technology needed to take humans beyond the Moon and on towards Mars.

Sharing ideas with Buzz Aldrin

Moving into November the same year I travelled to Naples for the European Space Agency (ESA) Council meeting at Ministerial level. The Ministerial Council meeting takes place roughly every 4 years. Ministers from all ESA member states attend to agree the European space programme for the short to medium term, and to commit funds to support projects.

The UK made new investments across a range of space projects from telecommunications to Earth observation. This meant the UK’s role in these areas was strengthened, and there was guaranteed work for the UK space industry.

With Universities and Science Minister, David Willetts, at the ESA Ministerial negotiating table

Flight

A career highlight came towards the end of 2012 when I joined international colleagues in Bordeaux to take part in a parabolic flight. Breaking through the grey and drizzly morning, the A300 zero-g aircraft rose quickly through the clouds to clear sky. Parabolas take place at around 4-8 km above sea level over the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve written before about the experience, so rather than repeating information, I’ll reiterate that it was without doubt one of the most intense experiences of my life.

One thing I will always remember is talking to the astronaut Andre Kuipers about his time in space. He described how, in dark sections of the International Space Station, you can look into space and see more stars than you can imagine. The constellations which we know are hidden amongst stars which we can never see because of the light pollution on Earth. When meteors travel towards Earth, the astronauts on the space station see them pass below the station as they travel through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Andre mentioned the darkest land area as being the Sahara. Brightest areas were created through artificial light of cities, but also rainforests because there were always large fires burning. He described the colours of the Northern Lights and the phosphorescent blooms in the oceans. He said you can see fireworks from space, especially on New Year’s Eve. Andre also mentioned Earth Hour where people around the globe switch off their lights for an hour to highlight the need to take action to save the planet. The astronauts on the space station could see the lights going out as Earth Hour rolled out across the world. His description was underpinned by a profound sense of how fragile our planet is.

With Andre Kuipers during the parabolic flight

For Posterity

These are very much selected highlights, which fell over a three month spell in 2012. I’m sharing them here as much for posterity as anything. The original post resides in the National Archives, but will likely be lost to time in due course.

Space will always fascinate me, and the opportunity to work on space policy and programmes offered experiences, memories, and friendships for which I will always be grateful.