David Elder Lecture - Dr Ciara McGrath

Can we win the Sustainable Space Race?

Dr. Ciara McGrath, University of Manchester

More than 10,000 spacecraft are currently orbiting just above our heads, providing vital services that we use every day; from warning us of dangerous space weather events, to helping lifeboat services navigate safely at sea. The “New Space” revolution means it is now possible for emerging space nations, companies, Universities, and even schools to launch their own space missions, making space - and space data - easier to access than ever before, and paving the way for anyone to use space to make the world a better place.

There is, however, a darker side to this extra-terrestrial revolution. Orbiting alongside these 10,000 active spacecraft are tens of thousands of pieces of space debris that risk the usability of the orbital environment. We are now launching a rocket every two days on average, releasing black carbon and methane into the delicate upper atmosphere. Precious, finite resources are mined for use in spacecraft manufacturing, and then destroyed upon atmospheric re-entry. As humanity begins the process of returning to the Moon, these impacts are no longer restricted to our own orbital environment.

New, sustainable approaches to space mission design – from life-cycle assessment supported eco-design, to the use of very low Earth orbit – could revolutionise the space industry and ensure that we can continue to provide vital data needed on Earth, whilst protecting the environment for generations to come. We need to act now to change the course of our future in space, and see our orbital environment as a fragile resource to be preserved, rather than a commodity to be exploited.

About the Speaker

Ciara McGrath is a Lecturer in Aerospace Systems at the University of Manchester with expertise in Astrodynamics and Space Mission Design, and is an Associate Editor at the AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. She is the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2021, and has appeared on TV, radio, and podcasts, and given a TEDx talk to promote engineering and the space industry to a wide audience. Dr McGrath holds a Masters and PhD in Aero-Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice. She has worked in the space industry in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands, and in 2017 was a visiting Fulbright Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. Her research aims to develop new, sustainable approaches to space mission design that will provide vital data needed on Earth, whilst preserving our fragile space environment for generations to come.

About the David Elder Lectures

Glasgow Science Centre is proud to host the David Elder Lectures in partnership with the University of Strathclyde's Department of Physics. This lecture is open to adults and interested young adults. Please ensure you arrive at least 10 minutes before the event begins. After the start the doors will be closed and access will not be permitted.

More information about the David Elder Lectures and upcoming lectures.